A Monster Turned Into A Human (T)
by CrimsonAmbur
Summary: When a killer is taken by homeworld, a Beryl is forced inside of him. As it slowly kills him, the Diamonds order him to shatter the Crystal Gems. But when they arrive on Earth, the killer runs away. Seeking out the help of the people that he was made to kill. Will the Crystal Gems accept the lazy, charming killer as a friend? Or will his gem consume what's left of his sanity first?
1. Chapter 1

**I've changed the beginning so if you've already read this series, read this again.**

"We've got a job for you Tristan." Said the man behind the bar counter "and I think you'll very much enjoy the amount of pay this person is willing to pay."

"I'm off for tonight." Said Tristan as he wiped the blood from a long dagger. "I'm done for tonight. My last job had a very, squirmy target. Disgusting bastard was fucking a dead child. I just had to give him a slow death."

"I know what you mean." said the bartender as Tristan took a swig of whiskey in the now empty bar. "But you don't have a choice; the bosses want you to do it."

"Not surprising." Said Tristan in a flat voice. "I'm usually allowed to say no, so what gives this time?"

"They said that they'll consider letting you leave." The bartender whispered into his ear. Tristan paused, sheathing his long dagger on his belt.

Tristan looked up at the bartender. "They said they'd let me go?"

"You're the best around. If they're going to consider letting the organizations biggest asset leave, than this must be a very dangerous job. Worth lots, and lots of money."

"Thank you." said Tristan as he stood up. "Now, where are these people?"

Tristan walked into the fields, the tall grass brushing against his red leather jacket. "Now." Tristan laid down in the grass, hiding himself. "To wait for them to appear." When taking a job, he would try to appear and disappear without a trace. To make him look like a shadow, emotionless, a monster. Planting fear in your targets is always important. But planting fear in your buyer is even more important. Within a flash of light an object fell from the sky. Tristan looked up to the sky, to see an entire mechanical arm just floating there! "Now how the fuck did I not see that?" He muttered, as he turned his attention back to the object that fell from the sky. Five large soldier looking things stepped out. Behind them a a very thin, blue thing? "What the hell is going on?" but before he could reveal himself. A large person in a cloak stepped out last. Tristan gasped when he saw the height of the person. Easily exceeding twenty feet tall. They were a fucking giant! Tristan was snapped back to reality when he heard them speak.

"I thought that the human said that his warrior would be here." said the giant. Tristan sneaked up behind all of them, leaning against the object that fell from the sky and spoke up.

"I'm right here." He whispered. Only the thin blue women heard him, turning around in surprise. Everyone else noticed the blue women's movement. Turning around to see what she was looking at.

"Where did you come from?" Screamed one of the weird looking soldiers.

"I've been here the whole time." Tristan said with a smile. "You just never noticed me." The soldier looked like they were ready to kill him. Which made Tristan want to see just how strong they were.

"Interesting." Said the giant "I've never seen a human that could so perfectly conceal themselves. Tell me, how did you do it? I've never known a human that could use magic!" _Magic? This giant is crazy._

"Enough chat." said Tristan walking towards the giant. The soldiers got ready to fight, but the giant put her hand up. "Let us talk about business. How much are you willing to pay me, and who exactly do you want me to kill?"

"First, let's talk about the monsters you've killed." said the giant. "I hear you're brutal, rough, and quick." Tristan smiled.

"You've heard right."

"What kinds of monsters?" asked the giant

Tristan walked closer to the blue women. "Monsters who do this!" Tristan suddenly grabbed the blue women. Embracing her very, sexual, and kissing her on the lips. After a minute her let the furiously blushing women go.

"Tsk." said one of the soldiers "it's just a Pearl."

Tristan smiled. "I meant monsters who would do that to her." He pointed to the giant. Everyone gasped. "And then their's others who do a little, more."

"Like how?" asked the Pearl "how can you do something even worse?" Tristan laughed. Everyone was shocked, even the giant looked confused.

"You think I'll pull my pants down in front of everyone here?" Tristan laughed even more at the question. "Flying ships, giant people, odd looking people. You're from space, aren't you?"

"Oh no, I think he found out" whispered one of the soldiers.

"How can you become even worse?" asked Blue Pearl again.

"Do you really want to know?" asked Tristan

"Yes!" said everyone, except for the giant.

"Well." Said Tristan walking up to all the soldiers. "After they do what I did, and maybe a little extra. They'll do this!" Tristan walked past one of the soldiers like a shadow.

"Wha?" Was all that the soldier could say before pulling on there hair. Forcing their head backwards, exposing their throats. Tristan pulled out a long dagger. Cutting deep into their jugular before letting them go. _Weird_ thought Tristan _no blood, I could've sworn I cut their throats._ Tristan turned around to see the body, but there was nothing there but an Amethyst!

"Sweet." said Tristan. "Can sell this for a couple hundred." before slipping it in his pocket. The other soldiers looked pissed, as they began to advance towards him. "Nope." he said pointing a gun towards them. "I'm keeping this beauty."

"Brutal, rough, and quick indeed." said Blue Diamond as she moved towards Tristan. "I think you have yourself a deal!"

Tristan grinned, putting his gun away. "Good. I was beginning to think that I would have to kill all of you." The Pearl gasped, the soldiers sneered, and Blue Diamond smirked.

"You're good human. But you're not that good."

"I disagree. But I really don't care anymore. Now, what do you want me to do?" Blue Diamond walked even closer Tristan. Not even saying a word. "Um, hello?" Blue Diamond grabbed Tristan. "Hey, put me down you fucking bitch!"

"Fucking bitch?" said one of the soldiers

Tristan laughed as was thrown into the spaceship. In he light he finally got to actually see what he could not see in the dark. He noticed the color of them all. _Definitely not human_. And all of the Gems on there body's. "What the hell do you want with me?"

"What do I want with you?" said Blue Diamond "I want to make another hybrid. I want to make a weapon that lasts forever. I want you!"

"Fuck." said Tristan as he felt themselves leave the ground. "You not just aliens, you're assholes!"

"Well." said the Pearl. "These assholes are gonna take you to homeworld." She giggled as they began to move faster than the speed of light, and Tristan fell unconscious.

Tristan woke up in a coughing fit, his eyes tearing up. He could taste blood in his mouth. "The human that proofed a quartz soldier is awake." said the Blue Pearl as Tristan sat up in bed. Spitting out the blood in his mouth, "Water." he said "Give me some fucking water." Blue Pearl gave him a glass of, something. But he didn't care what it was. He chugged it until it was empty, strangely he felt refreshed. Like he had just eaten a full meal. Yet didn't feel like his belly was pushing out. "Thank you." he said to the Pearl as he put it on his bedside. Bed! He was on a metal bed in a large, bland looking, room. Quite dark too. Blue Pearl just stood there, staring at him. Her bangs covering her eyes. "Cute." he muttered as he got out of his bed. He was very naked. But he didn't mind. It was a bit breezy but besides that, he was fine. "Where are my clothes?" Blue Pearl just pulled some black garments out of her Gem. He took them from her, putting on the black garments. "No shoes?" Blue Pearl said nothing again. "Not even socks?" Blue Pearl just kept standing still. "Are you, are you mad about what I did?" Blue Pearl stiffened up a little, blushing as she looked away.

"Please, how long are you going to keep Blue Diamond waiting." said a Quartz soldier at the door "you're wasting her time you pathetic human." Tristan walked up to the quartz soldier, just staring at her. She didn't budge until Blue Pearl began leading Tristan out of the room and into the hallway. The Quartz loosened up and shuddered. "Blue diamond wanted monster. Well she's got it. With those eyes, I bet he would laugh while shattering a gem."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hit him harder." Screamed a Quartz soldier "if he really poofed one of us then he should be more powerful than that!" ' _Fuck_ ' thought Tristan ' _I didn't expect them to be this pissed off!_ ' Tristan got hit in the face again. He was getting used to their punches, they were clearly stronger than him. But he didn't give a single fuck. This was fun! Tristan grinned as he finally dodged one of their punches. Kicking them in the throat and pulling on their hair so that they would be off balance. He continued to grab their arms, twisting them in directions that would normally kill a human just from the pain. But these weren't humans. These were gems. He continued to punch them against the wall, but he was getting tired. And they were getting more pissed off. "He, look. He's getting weaker!" They all began beating him muscled body. His face bruised and bloody. But he just kept smiling. "Why's he happy?" Said one. "I don't know! Just keep beating him!" He'd never met anyone stronger than him. To say he was happy was an understatement.

After they kept beating him, they got bored. Throwing him back in his room with the metal bad. Where Blue Pearl stood next to his bed. Tristan smiled "I deserved this, didn't I?" She said nothing but stare at his bloodied smile without emotion. "You're really quite aren't you? You were pretty talkative on earth. Now you just, stand there. Like a decoration!" She stiffened up, again. "Why don't you talk? You're like servant right?" Blue Pearl walked up to where Tristan was sitting on his metal bed. "Wow." He said with sarcasm "it can move?" Blue Pearl kicked him in the stomach. It was nothing compared to a Quartz soldiers strength, but he was still bruised badly. He winced and giggled as she inflicted more pain onto him.

Blue Pearl just could not understand this being. He finds enjoyment in pain! What kind of animal was he? And not only that, but he constantly tried her patience. Always talking to her, like they were on the same level! She was a Pearl, and he was a top secret project! So what's with him? Shouldn't he have learned that they were on totally different rankings. And she was never given permission to speak to him, so what was she supposed to do! She'd had enough!

"I know you're warming up to me." Giggled Tristan as Blue Pearl walked away "awww, don't be like that. This was just starting to get interesting." She scowled at the comment.

"I've no interest in a dirty human." Said Blue Pearl turning away from him.

"Oh really." Tristan walked over to her "not even when we kissed?" She gasped as she slapped him. Yet he just smirked. "You're no fun." Tristan laid back down on his metal bed. He fell asleep, his chest heaving up and down. Blue Pearl observed him, the black garments were now ruined. She would need new ones. She watched as his smile disappeared and his eyes began to tear up. His hair was cute and tangled up, his face was always angled perfectly. And she felt something, but what the hell did he make her feel? It was, odd, to say the least. The only thing she couldn't see were his eyes. His red eyes were what completed the picture. If only she could….

"You're a useless piece of shit." Said Marcus as he put his cigarette out on Tristan. But he didn't cry out. In fact he couldn't even feel it. The scars were everywhere on his body. His wrists and legs were covered in dry blood from trying to escape for years. His eyes dead and red, never paying attention to anything. "You my bitch you got that!" Marcus began to unbuckle his pants. "I'll cut your back while fucking you on your hands and knees. But you need to get me up first. Now, suck it!" Tristan stared at his father's disgusting penis. He opened his mouth, the penis entered his mouth. And his teeth bite into the flesh, tearing off the fuckers cock. Marcus screamed, but not for long. As Tristan spit out the dick, and began choking the fucker with his chains.

Blue Pearl touched Tristan's face. His eyes opened, the red in his eyes even darker. And his vision blurred by the tears. "Marcus!" He screamed. Jumping on top of Blue Pearl and choking her. His hands gripping her neck so hard his knuckles turned white. Blue Pearl didn't need to breath, it was just very uncomfortable. And the fear that he would shatter her gem also clouded her mind. She screamed as Quartz soldiers walked in. They grabbed Tristan, but he elbowed one of their gems. She screamed out in pain as he grabbed them by the head and began pulling with all of his strength. He pulled her head off, effectively poofing her. The Quartz's gasped as he began to walk towards them. His eyes searching the room for Marcus. A soldier charged him, but one glance from his eyes and they backed off. "Where the **fuck,** is Marcus?" Everybody just muttered, confused as to who this Marcus was. Tristan walked out of the room. Wondering the hallways until he came across Blue Diamonds room. "Where are you hiding him!" He screamed as he barged in. Startling Blue diamond, along with the rest of the diamonds. A group of Quartz soldiers ran up to him. He glared at them as they began to back off, except for one. The soldier charged him, summoning her weapon. Tristan simply jumped back and punched her right in the gem. She fell over as everyone gasped, including the diamonds. Tristan kneeled by the Quartz, repeatedly punching her gem. His hands bloodied as he cracked her gem. The Quartz cried out in pain, but he didn't stop. Finally, she shattered. Everyone ran away, leaving Tristan with all the diamonds in the room. Tristan slowly took shards of the Quartz out of his bloodied fist while he walked towards the diamonds.

"Now, I see why you picked this human for the experiment." Said Yellow Diamond.

"Yes, indeed." Said White Diamond.

"I, I don't know what's happening." Said Blue Diamond.

"Where's Marcus." Growled Tristan as he picked the last shard out of his fist.

"There's another human!" said White Diamond.

"No!" said Blue Diamond.

"Where. Is. He?" said Tristan as he stopped in front of the diamonds. Quartz soldiers stormed the room, filling up the entire chamber. Tristan turned around, flexing and bending his bloodied left hand. He charged the entire room full of Quartz's. And the Quartz's did the same, right back at him.

"He's effectively shattered four Quartz soldiers." Said Yellow diamond "I must say, the human impresses me."

"Yes, such brutality is what we'll use against the remaining forces of the Crystal Gems." Said White Diamond.

"Well, if we're going to do this we better do it quick." Said Yellow Diamond "it seems almost as if he's lost his mind."

"Yes, summon that Peridot. Tell her to commence with the operation." Said Blue Diamond.

"Yes, my Diamond." Said Blue Pearl as she walked towards Tristan's cell.

Tristan was covered in blood. His head was still bleeding, and he was pretty sure that he'd broken several bones. But he couldn't even feel it, so what was it to him? Blue Pearl walked up to Tristan's cell, his arms crossed and back against the wall. Eyes closed like he was pleasantly daydreaming. "You know that you're going to die." He didn't respond, just smirked. "You just threw away your life, just because of what? You were mad?" His grin disappeared, as his eyes opened. She swore that she could feel something slowly and painfully slide into her gem as he stared at her. She immediately looked away, staring at the Peridot. "Do it."

"But we're not quite ready-" But she was interrupted by Blue Pearl.

"Do it now!" She screamed. The Peridot muttered something then ordered a gem to be put in chamber, right next to Tristan's cell. Tristan felt chains grab his arms and legs and remembered how Marcus used to chain him up in his basement. He flailed and screamed as tears began to fall from his face and onto the ground.

"Hey look, the human's scared." Said one of the Quartz soldiers. Everyone laughed at the sight of Tristan flailing like an animal in a cage.

 **"MARCUS."** Screamed Tristan as he broke his chains. But it was too late. He felt a pain inflict him. He actually felt it! But he didn't have time to be surprised as he felt something move inside of him. It felt amazing, like a drug, or sex. Or even both! But it hurt so, damn, much! He passed out, his eyes rolled back into his head, his hair turned white from the damn stress of it all. And he was taller.

"Take him to the ship." Said Blue Diamond "he'll need lots of room to learn how to use his gem powers. And plenty of time to do it, the second he learns out to use them all. You jump to light speed and go to earth. But until then, just wait. Move at a regular speeds."

"Yes my Diamond." Said a whole platoon of Quartz soldiers and one Jade.

"Blue Pearl." Said Blue Diamond "go with them, I need constant updates on his progress. I only trust you with this."

"Yes my Diamond." Said Blue Pearl "thank you, my Diamond." Blue Pearl walked onto the ship along with everyone else.

"Let's hope that this human learns how to use his powers before we reach earth." Said Jade "I don't want to babysit him for seventy years."

"He won't even last that long." Said a Peridot

"What do you mean?" said Blue Pearl and Jade at the same time.

"That gem inside of him is sucking up his life force." Said the Peridot "without food for him to consume his gem will take his life as intake for energy."

"Well then." Said Jade "let's hope he's not as useless he seems."

"Actually…." Said a Quartz soldier, leaning in to whisper to Jade.

" **HE SHATTERED THEM!"**


	3. Chapter 3

"Finally summoned your weapon." Said Jade "now we can finally go to light speed and get to earth in a few hours."

"It's that fast?" asked Tristan. It'd been a year since he'd been taken by homeworld. His white hair was in a loose ponytail, he was much taller, bout 6'3. And a year of getting beat and beating Quartz soldiers had made him much, much stronger. Along with getting a gem placed inside of him, but it was mostly getting the shit beat out of him.

"Yes, it's that fast. Now if you'll excuse me." Said Jade as she barreled past Tristan "I must inform the pilot of our change in speed. So I suggest that you find a place and, buckle up." Tristan scowled as he dissolved his weapon, he didn't even get to look at it. All he saw was a woman, a beautiful one at that. He saw her every night in his dreams after they placed that, _thing,_ inside of him.

"Fuck." Said Tristan as he began to cough up some blood "assholes can't even feed me."

"We never had food to begin with." Tristan turned around to see Blue Pearl at the doorway "you're lucky that the diamonds didn't throw you out into space after what you pulled back on homeworld. So don't even think for a second that we'd give you any form of pleasure or substance." Tristan giggled.

"You know you gave me some pleasure back when kissed-" Blue Pearl had already closed the door before he could even finish his sentence. "*Tsk* that's pretty harsh." Tristan eyes widened as he coughed even harder this time. Drenching his entire palm in blood. He breathed heavily before standing up and wiping his blood hand on his raggedy and torn black garments. They didn't even give him spare clothes! So not only did he have to walk around barefoot, but he looked and felt like a hobos cum rag. Tristan leaned up against a wall as he ran his hand through his silver hair. He still didn't get why his hair turned silver, was it due to the stress his body went through when they changed him? "Now." Said Tristan as he stared at his bloodied palm. Covered in calluses and scars "how do I shatter and escape these bastards before I die?" He just kept staring, his body feeling strangely heavier. _'Did they mess with the gravity again?'_ thought Tristan as he was pressed against the wall by a force that he could only describe as an asshole for doing this. He would barely breath, he coughed more blood. But it flew back into his mouth, making him cough more. ' _Am I gonna drown in my own fucking blood? Damn, badass, but fucking disgusting.'_ Tristan could barely move, he grabbed the door edge. But as soon as he tried to use both hands, he was pressed against the wall even harder. _'Ok, now I know those bastards are messing with the artificial gravity.'_ Tristan spit out the blood, taking in one last breath of air before blacking out.

"I see you're back." Said the women in the blood covered room. Her eyes looked saddened when she saw him "and you're in an even worse condition than last time *sigh* just like every time." Tristan sat next to her on the couch.

"I'm always in a worse condition." He ran his hands over his clothes "look at this shit!" He giggled, but she looked even sadder.

"I meant your health." Tristan just kept smiling "you get worse, and worse, and worse! Yet you still live! How do you do it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm fine." Tristan coughed up blood. He gave her a weak smile "I've no idea about the problems you speak of." She got closer to him "you know I still have no idea what your name is."

"I don't deserve one." She looked up at him "not after what I'm doing to you. After all the pain you've been put through because of me."

"I'm perfectly fine." Tristan held his breath so that he wouldn't cough, but she noticed. "I've never felt any pain, besides that beatings I get from them in, _training_ , but I'm healthier than I've ever been."

"Why do you lie so much?"

"Human nature?" Said Tristan chuckling.

"Why do you act so strong? Even on the brink of death you lie to yourself." Tristan scowled, but pretended to smile when she looked at him.

"I can't die, I'm Tristan. The god damn best contractor in the world." Tristan smirked _'Yeah, I used to be the best.'_

"I can still hear your thoughts." She shifted so that she could look at him "I'm still a part of you."

"That's annoying." Said Tristan, dropping the act and laying down. Taking up the rest of the couch, forcing her to sit on his thigh. "So, you gonna scold me for not giving a single fuck about my life?"

"No, not this time." She shifted her weight onto his crotch. Making him gasp, but quickly calmed down. "I'm feeling a little, different. I want you to fix it." ' _Not even trying to hide it anymore, are you'_ "Nope." She said with a grin. Tristan tried to push her off but he forgot that in his dreams, he was just a regular human again, and she was a full-fledged gem. She kissed him, he didn't kiss back. But he didn't fight back either. She just continued to force herself onto him until his silent and only tear fell from his eyes.

Tristan opened his wet eyes. He didn't even want to move, he didn't have the energy. Not when he'd just been emotionally dramatized, again. "How long are you gonna lay there?" Asked Jade as he stood next to half of the entire platoon of Quartz soldiers.

"For however long I feel like." Said Tristan getting up, one of the soldiers punched him to the ground.

"You wouldn't mind laying down for a little longer. Right?" Tristan said nothing as he tried to stand back up again. The same Quartz tried to punch him, but Tristan was tired of this shit. He grabbed the Quartz's arm, pulling her closer before summoning his weapon and stabbing her gem. Everyone gasped as Tristan stood up, looking at the saber in his hand.

"Sir, we've arrived at earth…" one of the Quartz's entered the room. Seeing Tristan with a saber in hand and gem shards on the ground, she ran.

Tristan stepped out of the ship, looking at the forest around him. The feeling of grass on his feet along with dirt was amazing. The birds chirping, the wind against his skin, the smell of, gas? "Fuck. We're next to a highway. Way to ruin my return." But the highway only responded with the sounds of cars passing by. Tristan looked towards Jade, as they she turned to face him.

"We should've landed in the kindergarden." Said Jade "why have you landed us here?" The pilot was terrified. She'd gotten distracted when he walked into Tristan shattering the Quartz soldier and ran away. "Just get us back into the ship and take us to our correct coordinates!" The pilot ran into the ship. Jade walked back into the ship, and completely forgot that Tristan was outside! Tristan quickly turned around and ran for the highway. He weaved through the trees, sprinting faster than any human in the world. But then again, he wasn't quite human anymore.

"You might want to take theses if you're going to leave." Tristan suddenly stopped in his tracks. Looking for the voice that he knew so well. Blue Pearl stepped out from behind a tree, pulling out Tristan's old clothes. "It'd be hard for you to fit in if you look like a hobo's cum rag." She said with a smirk.

"You don't even know what that even means." Said Tristan snatching his clothes and changing on the spot. They fit perfectly, even though he'd gotten much bigger since he last wore these. He looked up to see a smiling Blue Pearl. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you helped me feel like, well, a not Pearl." Said Blue Pearl as she turned around "let's hope we never see each other again. There's a reason why I made the ship land over here. It's because the Crystal Gems live nearby. They can help you change back. You just have to find them, now I've got to go. Goodbye. Forever." Before Tristan could open his mouth, she ran off towards the ship. Tristan smiled.

"Goodbye." He muttered as he ran off towards the highway. He looked up at a sign that said Beach City, five miles away. "Well, that's not that far away. At least not for me anymore." Tristan ran as fast as he could. Running right next to cars going eighty miles per hour. Tristan grinned as the wind tore through his hair. Letting his shoulder length hair out of his ponytail and let it fly along with him. He laughed, shouted, and screamed in happiness as he got even faster. Now sprinting as fast as he could. He was pretty sure he was breaking every speeding limit but he didn't care as he jumped into beach city.

"Chocolate doughnut please." Said Tristan as he slammed a five dollar bill on the counter. The lady behind the counter gave him the doughnut "keep the change." Said Tristan as he ran out of the store. He was so excited to finally eat something after a full year of having an empty stomach. He devoured the doughnut in less than a second and ran to the next food place. Tristan looked into his wallet, yup. He still had hundreds in there. "Glad they didn't take that at least." Said Tristan as he ran up to Beach Citywalk Fries. He ordered as much as he could, devoured it all before running into Fish Stews Pizza. After eating all he could he ran out onto the beach. He didn't care if he sounded or looked like a child. After years of killing and a year without earth, this eighteen year old was ready to be ten again! He fell on his knees in the sand screaming "I'm back, and I'm never leaving this damned planet ever again!"

Garnet moved her visors as she looked over at Amethyst and Pearl. "Gems! We have trouble." They all looked up.

"Really?" asked Pearl. "Didn't we already deal with a corrupted gem today?"

"It's not a corrupted one." Said Garnet as she ran for the door.

"Is it homeworld?" asked Amethyst.

"I'm not sure." Said Garnet "but whatever it is. We can't let it get in contact with Steven, or anyone else."

Tristan let his legs hang off the cliff side. The sea breeze was perfect, the sunset was perfect. _'There was nothing that could ruin his return.'_ Tristan felt the ground around him shake violently as he almost fell of the cliff side. _'I just had to fucking jinx it'_ Tristan jumped back towards the light house, turning towards what made the sudden earthquake. There stood three women, all of which had gems on their bodies. He took a step towards them and they summoned their weapons. Tristan tried to summon his saber, but just ended up on his knees coughing up some blood.

Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst all stood there. Their weapons drawn, the man took a step forward. His eyes looking like they were ready for blood. But before he could do anything, he fell to his knees and began violently coughing. "Um, what?" said Amethyst lowering her whip. The mysterious man looked up at them.

"You lied to me." He screamed before successfully summoning his saber and charging them. He faced Garnet head on. Using his speed to his advantage. Pearl stabbed him in the back, but before she could pull away he turned around grabbed her by the neck. "You bastards told me that my gem would stop killing me once I got sufficient energy consumption. So why?" he screamed before getting hit in the head by Garnet. He let go of Pearl, but just stood there. Making his saber disappear and punching Garnet into the light house. Amethyst tied him with her whip and Pearl stabbed him in the stomach.

It hurt like hell, but it was nothing compared to what those sadistic bastards on homeworld did to him. He just let his blood drip onto the grass. "Why?" he screamed. "Why is my gem still killing me? Tell me or I'll shatter you and your pathetic Diamonds!"

"Wait what?" said Pearl.

"Does he think we're…homeworld?" asked Amethyst confused.

"You speak as if you know of us gems, and you can summon a weapon." Said Garnet as she walked towards Tristan. Making her Gauntlets disappear. "Yet you're human. Tell us, who are you?" Tristan's eyes became an even darker shade of red as he screamed at them.

"You know exactly who and what I am you pathetic pieces of shit." Tristan broke the whip. Pearl and Amethyst both jumped back while Garnet just stood still. "Why." He screamed, tears falling down his face "why can't I shatter all of you!" He charged Garnet. Punching her over and over again, forcing her to the ground. Yet she did nothing. Tristan summoned his saber and got ready to stab at Garnet. But he began to violently cough. He stumbled over to the light house. Leaning all of his weight against it. He began to cough even more until he vomited a dangerous amount of blood. "Why can't you just die!" muttered Tristan before passing out. His tears still falling down his face.


	4. Chapter 4

"What do we do with him?" asked Pearl "we can't just leave him bubbled up forever, he'll starve to death!"

"That's not the problem." Said Garnet "the problem is what and who he is."

"As long as he's chill, I'm cool with him." Said Amethyst as she dug around in the fridge some more. Tristan's eye twitched as he sat in a red bubble. Staring at three weirdo's talking about him like he was a child!

"I'm right here you know." Said Tristan leaning back in the bubble "and stop talking about me when I'm right here! I'm not some kid!" The three gems just stared at him.

"Uh, when did he wake up?" Whispered Amethyst.

"Are you fucking serious?" asked Tristan.

"Language!" Said Pearl, Tristan just stared at her.

"You can't be serious." Said Tristan sitting crossed legged "right?"

"Oh she's serious." Said Garnet walking up to the bubble "just don't say that stuff around Steven."

"Say what now?" Almost as if on cue. Right after Tristan said that, Steven walked through the door.

"Guys, guys! You won't believe what Connie and I found today!" Steven stopped in his tracks when he saw Tristan in a bubble.

"Great." Said Tristan "you guys caught another human to experiment on. Now will you let me leave? Cause after a year in space, I'm ready to go back to being a contractor." Everyone just stared at him.

"Um, what's happening?" asked Steven as he walked up to Tristan.

"Oh yeah that's right." Said Tristan "you want me to shatter the Crystal Gems or whatever." Everyone gasped "and then you'll take this fucking gem out of me. Right?" Tristan looked up to see all three of the Gems with their weapons out. "Ah shit, what'd I say this time?" The bubble popped and Tristan landed flat on his back. He tried to sit up but was met with a spear in his face. Tristan grabbed the spear and rolled away before throwing it at Pearl. It disappeared in midair. "Uh?" But Tristan was instantly punched by Garnet. Tristan barely put his hand up in time before fell onto the warp pad. Tristan stood up and summoned his saber. Cutting at Amethyst's whip. Tristan blocked one of Pearl's bolts of energy, before dodging a punch from Garnet and kicking her in the face. He ran at Pearl, forcing her back with raw power before grabbing her and throwing her to the ground. He saw Amethyst and Garnet running towards him. Tristan put his Saber to the back of Pearls head, directly over her gem. "Stay back. Or I'll shatter another one of you." Garnet and Amethyst gasped.

"Another one?" Screamed Pearl in complete horror.

"Just like everyone of your worthless Quartz soldiers so just-" Tristan didn't get to finish before his violent coughing started. Tristan stumbled away from Pearl and leaned up against the door frame. "get back." He screamed, pointing his saber weakly at them. He coughed up some more blood "I'll shatter you before you can even report to your shitty Diamonds."

"Language!" Screamed Pearl.

"What's shitty?" asked Steven in complete confusion.

"Look at what you made Steven say!" said Pearl "wait, Diamonds!"

"What!" said Tristan, laughing hysterically "you never understood what I've been saying the whole time I've been with you guys. Since when have you ever picked up a dictionary? What, are you mad about how many things I've said about your precious Diamonds?"

"Jeez, what's your problem man?" asked Amethyst "talking about us like we're homeworld."

Tristan scowled "That's because you are."

"Um, actually we're not." Said Steven walking up to Tristan like he wasn't a threat. "We're the Crystal Gems."

Tristan's eyes widened in surprise "wait, I've been looking for you!" Tristan made his Saber disappear and walked up to them. He sat on his knees and bowed. "Please, I need your help!"

"Wait, what!" said Pearl

After Tristan explained his story to everyone, they just looked at him in confusion. "So you survived an entire year without food?" Said Garnet, obviously very skeptical.

"Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth!" Insisted Tristan "I was told that I could stop the gem from taking my life force by eating or somehow getting enough energy. But as you can see." He opened his bloodied palm. "It's not working."

"So what do we do?" asked Steven.

"Well I was planning on forcing them to take the gem out of me after I shattered you guys. But I felt like it would be better to just ask you guys for help." Said Tristan "besides, I'm tired of having to shatter one of their Quartz soldiers just so that they would leave me alone."

"Well you came to the right place." Said Garnet, Tristan opened his mouth but Garnet already had her hand up. "No we don't know how to return you back to normal." Tristan's mood visibly deflated "but we can still try to help you. We're not even sure that returning you to normal is possible, Homeworld lies so until we find out. It's safe to assume that you'll be staying like that for a while."

"Yeah." Said Steven in excitement "you can live with us! You'll be a Crystal Gem." Everyone just looked nervous and awkward.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Said Tristan "I'm already a part of an organization that refuses to let me go."

"But this is different!" said Steven.

"Yeah!" said Pearl and Amethyst.

"They're right." Said Garnet "this is something you won't be forced to be in. You'll be able to leave on your own free will."

"How did you know?" asked Tristan "that I wanted to leave them?"

"Some of us have to keep our secrets." Said Garnet adjusting her glasses. "Gems! We'll talk about how we'll deal with Tristan in the temple." She turned towards both Steven and Tristan. "You two stay here until we come back."

"Ok." Said Steven. With that, the three gems entered the Temple. Leaving Tristan with Steven.

"So." Said Tristan turning to Steven "you got any booze?"

Tristan had settled on orange juice since they didn't have any alcohol. _'Seriously, who doesn't have alcohol?'_ thought Tristan before he guzzled down the rest of his orange juice. "What do you do for work." Asked Steven from his bed. Tristan looked up from the couch.

"I was a contractor." Said Tristan placing the glass on the ground before heading up to see what Steven was up to.

"What's a contractor?" asked Steven as he played some golf game.

"It's simple, I get paid to kill people." Explained Tristan. He turned to see Stevens horrified expression "bad people." He said "I killed very bad people."

"That's still not right." Said Steven in a somber voice,

"Steven, nothings ever as clear as black and white." Said Tristan "I learned that the hard way when I was younger." Before Steven could ask him what he meant by that, the gems walked out of the temple.

"Tristan, you can stay." Said Pearl.

"But on one condition." Said Garnet.

"Ok, what's that?" Asked Tristan.

"You got to work for us!" Screamed Amethyst.

"Amethyst!" Scolded Pearl.

"What we're trying to say is that you have to go on missions with us. And you cannot put Steven in harm's way." Said Garnet "so until you're back to normal, you'll be living with us from now on." Tristan smiled. He didn't know why he felt so happy, maybe it was because he'd never had a proper home before. At first home was just a basement for him to get abused by his father. Then it was an empty apartment with nothing but weapons and food in it. Then it was in space, now here these kind people were. Offering him something he'd never had! Before he knew it there were tears running down his face. He didn't even make a sound or change his face. The tears were just, there!

"Yo dude." Said Amethyst "you good?"

"Yeah." Said Tristan "I'm fine. I just need to get my stuff back in empire city."

"You know what this means!" Said Steven in excitement. Before I could ask him what he meant he burst out in excitement "ROAD TRIP!"

"Again, thank you for taking me Mr. Universe." Said Tristan from the back of the van.

"Oh, Greg's fine." Said Greg "any friend of Stevens is a person I'm willing to help."

"Thank you, just turn right here." Said Tristan pointing to the curb. It was raining outside but he didn't mind. "I'll be right back." With that, Tristan ran outside. Running down the block and into a fancy building.

"Tristan!" said the clerk at the desk "I haven't seen you in a year!"

"Same." Said Tristan "hey, I need to get inside my apartment and I don't have my keys."

"Don't even need to finish that sentence." Said the clerk as he pulled out a key. "Go on up, it'll be a bit dusty but I'm sure you don't mind."

"Thank you." Said Tristan as he ran up the stairs. He almost forgot that he had become so much faster because he was already at the top floor in less than a minute. "Well it sure didn't feel like a fifteen story building." Tristan unlocked the door before entering his apartment. It was all whit and barren. There was spoiled food in the fridge no doubt. And his bedroom was still blank, except for his closet. "Just the way I left it." Tristan grabbed a duffle bag and shoved all of his guns in there. He had another duffle bag full of ammo cash, and a backpack with clothes inside. After strapping two small pistols to the inside of his Jacket (which felt heavenly to him) and grabbed his combat boots. He was ready. Tristan walked to the door, only to see five men standing by the door. "Shit." He said putting everything down and throwing them in the bedroom.

"Where have you been?" asked the one in the middle.

"Look, it's a long story that you wouldn't believe." Said Tristan.

"You disappear when the bosses say that you can't, and look at you know. Back to grab your stuff and just. Leave yet again."

"I'm warning you." Said Tristan "I'm not in the mood for your shit."

"Oh, and neither are the bosses."

"Fuck it." Said Tristan as he pulled out his pistols Shooting them before they could even comprehend what he was about to do. "Now." Said Tristan grabbing his stuff "to get the hell away from these psychopaths that I used to work for." Tristan walked to the clerk and put a thousand dollars on the table. "For the mess I left upstairs." The clerk only smiled as he walked out the front door and away from his once miserable life.

 **I'm so grateful for all the people who've taken the time to read my story. Thank you, I genuinely enjoy doing this and I'm happy that people enjoy it as well.**

 **(This is for those who want to get a better idea of what Tristan looks like.)**

 **Saber: Overseers Sabre from Dishonored.**

 **Tristan wears a pair of combat boots with navy blue jeans and black shirt with sleeves that stop at his elbows and a red leather jacket.**

 **Please tell me if you want to have me write in First Person because it might not only make it easier for me. But make it more engaging for you guys. So please tell me if you would like to see that and I'll do it.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Wow." Said Tristan "so after Jasper knocked you all out, you just woke up and escaped!"

"Yeah." Said Steven.

"Even I still can't believe it." Said a voice from the door.

"Connie!" shouted Steven before running down from his room and hugging the girl at the door "I haven't seen you in a week!"

"It was six days!" Giggled Connie "but I'm glad to see you too."

"Sorry to ruin your reunion, but um, who are you?" Said Tristan as he stood up.

"Oh Tristan I forgot to tell you." Said Steven "my friend Connie was coming over. You don't mind do you?"

Tristan smirked "why would I care?"

"Perfect!" he screamed as Pearl warped in.

"Oh hello Steven, Connie." Pearl looked over at Tristan and nodded, he nodded back.

"Pearl!" Screamed Steven as he ran over to the warp pad with Connie.

Tristan mostly tuned them out, sipping on his last beer before coughing it all up when he heard Pearl scream "you want me to do what!"

"You should teach Connie to sword fight!" said Steven "she's already so good." Tristan just tuned them out as he angrily walked out the door.

"This was an important jacket too." Muttered Tristan as he walked into town "got to clean the beer off before someone thinks I'm an alcoholic. What am I saying? I am an alcoholic!" Tristan walked into a dry cleaning store. He got his jacket in the store and left it to clean. Tristan walked to Beach Citywalk Fries "Yo Peedee." Said Tristan.

"Oh, hey Tristan." Said Peedee as he turned around "what can I get you?"

"Just a large bag of fries." Said Tristan as he leaned in "and if you can, sneak in a beer? I can pay." Peedee smirked.

"I got you." Peedee came back with the order "here you go."

"Thanks Peedee." Said Tristan before walking off to the boardwalk. Sitting down on the sand munching on fries and sipping on a beer. It was relaxing to say the least. Tristan looked into the water, his white hair in a loose ponytail. "Maybe I should finally get a haircut." He mumbled to himself "I never did get a chance to cut it in space so I never really cared." He threw the bag and now empty can of beer into the ocean "guess I should do I now since I'm waiting for my coat to not smell like my breath."

Tristan walked into the lighthouse that he 'bought' from the mayor. All he had to do was slip the man the password to his old organizations bank account. It was a multi-billion organization, so nobody would notice if ten to fifty thousand dollars were taken one day. Tristan sighed as he combed his fingers through his now short hair. Tristan put his jacket on the railing by the steps and made his way up to his mattress on the floor. He sat down on the dirty mattress, he pulled up his duffel bag full of weapons. Opening it he saw that all of his pistols were still there. His Beretta's, ten Mm revolver's, and countless others. "Good." He muttered zipping the bag back up "no one's dumb enough to take my shit and die." He laid down and looked at his phone "might as well get takeout. I don't have any ingredients to cook, hell. I don't even have a fridge or a stove. I should really get on that."

Tristan sat on his mattress with the new laptop he bought. Half a box of pizza sat at his feet as he sipped on his fifth can of beer. He coughed up more blood, not fast enough to cover his mouth as specks of blood flew onto his screen "dammit." He said as wiped of the blood. "*Ah*" Screamed Tristan as he grabbed his head. "I thought I told you to stop talking to me when I wasn't asleep!" Screamed Tristan as he rubbed his temples. _'But I get so bored without someone to talk to. Without someone to play with.'_ "For gem sake just stop, you can fuck me all you want when I pass out drunk. So just let me live." _'I can't do that, you know that I'll consume you one day'_ "Yeah, well when that day comes I'll be sure to shot myself before you can take over my body." _'You would never do that.'_ "You don't even know me you sadistic whore!" There was nothing for silence for what felt like hours until she finally spoke. _'I guess I'll just have to torture you for a little longer than usual.'_ "Oh trust me bitch, I be sure to wake up before you even get a chance." With that, it was finally over. Tristan ran to the window and vomited up a dangerous amount of blood. "That fucking bitch actually makes me feel pain." Tristan grinned "it's been far too long since I've felt anything." With that Tristan passed out drunk and exhausted. But little did he know of the gem up above watching the whole ordeal.

"He may be experiencing something that he isn't telling us." Said Garnet as she dropped down to him "who's the gem inside of you?"

 **Sorry about the short chapter, I've been really busy. But I promise that the next one will make up for it (maybe).**


	6. Chapter 6

"Why are you here?" asked Tristan as the gems walked in.

"We want to make sure there's nothing to harm Steven while he's here." Said Pearl as she began to pick up the many beer cans on the floor and dumping them in the trash.

"You know you could've asked me to do this instead of barging in." said Tristan as he grabbed his duffel bags full of cash and guns and threw them in the basement.

"Yeah." Said Garnet "but you wouldn't have done it either way."

"How do you know these things." Muttered Tristan as he made sure to make his home look at least livable.

"Why is it such a mess here?" asked Pearl.

"Yeah, it looks like my room." Said Amethyst "but like, not as much trash."

"I never use to spend time in my old home, so it was always empty. I was always busy so my house was just a place to sleep and put my stuff." Said Tristan, shoving the pizza boxes in the trash.

"That sounds like, a boring life." Said Amethyst as she shoved stale pizza in her mouth.

"Oh you have no idea." Said Tristan as he grinned. Garnet frowned, looking away in disgust.

"Garnet, are you ok?" asked Pearl, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah." Said Garnet as she walked out of the house "I'm fine. I'm just gonna grab Steven."

"Wow!" Said Steven as he looked around the house "you live here!"

"Yeah, I bought it from the Mayor a little while back." Said Tristan as he handed Steven a soda.

"Didn't Ronaldo use this as his club house?" asked Steven as he sat down on the couch.

"Wait, who did what?" asked Tristan.

"Ronaldo." Said Steven "Peedee's older brother older brother used this as his horror club awhile back."

"Well that explains why this place came with furniture." Said Tristan as he turned on the TV "that's too bad for him because now this's all mine now." Tristan chuckled when he saw Steven look at Tristan in a somewhat sad manner. "Don't worry I'll pay him back as compensation. Besides, he did buy this with his money." Stevens face lit up at that comment. "So, what movie do you want to watch?" asked Tristan as he pulled up his computer.

"Oh, can we watch the new dogcopter movie!" Asked Steven "I heard from Connie that it was a really good movie."

"Uh, I have no idea what the hell dogcopter is but I'll look it up." Said Tristan as he began typing away on his computer "it's here." Said Tristan as he began to download the movie. "So while we're waiting for this to finish, what do you want to do?"

"I want to see the top of the light house!" said Steven as he began to run to the stairs. Tristan grinned at the kids enthusiasm.

"Alright, let's go." Said Tristan as he began to follow Steven up the stairs.

"Whoa!" said Steven as he looked at the view "it's beautiful from up here."

"Yeah." Said Tristan "I plan on moving my room to the basement and using this small area as a workout room."

"But why would you want to sleep down there?" asked Steven "it's great to wake up to this view."

"True." Said Tristan as he leaned up against glass "but with this high ceiling, there's so many possibility's." Tristan looked out to the great view, his eyes widened and gasped when he saw a large SUV that he was too familiar with. "Steven, you have to get down stairs. Right. Now."

"Why?" But Steven didn't have a chance to protest as Tristan grabbed Steven. Jumping from the top of the stairs and landing on the couch. He ran into the basement and dropped him there. "I need you to stay here until I say you can come up." Tristan grabbed his duffel bag full of guns and pulled out two Beretta's.

"But why?" asked Steven.

"Because I have a couple, friends, that are coming." Said Tristan as he put the silencers on the pistols.

"Well why can't I meet them?" asked Steven.

"Because they do bad stuff." Said Tristan as he shoved the guns in his jacket "and they're just here so that I can return a couple things." Tristan walked up to the top of the stairs "I want you to stay away from that bag. Trust me, I'll know if you've opened it." With that Tristan opened the door and locked it behind him. He just unlocked the door and sat on the couch, a Beretta in each hand as he just sat there. It wasn't long before one opened the door, Tristan just shot him. Not asking any questions, just trying to make this end as fast as he could. Tristan kicked the body, knocking over one of the men. He shot anybody in sight. Before he knew it, eight of the exterminators were on the ground dead. "There should be ten." He muttered as he walked up to the SUV. It was still running! Tristan ran up to the driver seat and shot the window. There was no one there! He looked through the tinted windows and fired the rest of his clips into the car. He opened the door and pulled out a man with bullet holes through him. "Where's the last one?" the man just looked at him in a mix of shock and anger "oh don't act like a dumbass. I'm the one who created all of the tactics, and I know there's at least one more person left. So where is he?" The man said nothing. Tristan looked at his eyes, they weren't looking at him. He quickly shifted so that his body was pointed towards the light house. A shot echoed from the top of the light house. Shooting the man in the heart and the hitting the top of Tristan's ear. He quickly dropped the dead body and ran. He jumped high into the air and began running up the light house. He reached the top to see the man with his gun pointed towards the stairs. Tristan grabbed the man and held him over the edge of the railing. "How did you find me?" The man stayed silent, so Tristan pulled him back and bent his arm the wrong way. He screamed out loud as he bone began poking out of his skin. Tristan hung him over the edge again. "How did you find me?" Still the man said nothing, so Tristan switched arms. Now holding the man by his broken arm, he screamed even louder this time as Tristan shook him roughly. Finally the man spoke.

"We saw that someone was taking money from beach city. So we asked the Mayor who gave him permission to use it and he told us where you lived."

"Thank you." Said Tristan as he threw the man in the air. Summoning his Sabre and cutting his arm off as he fell onto the ground down below. "Now to tell that stupid Mayor to use a VPN and to dispose of the bodies." Tristan put all of the bodies in the SUV and drove it off into the sea down below. "Damn." Said Tristan as he looked at the blood in the ground. "How the hell am I supposed to get rid of the blood?" Tristan quickly poured water in the dirt, washing away the blood and making it all muddy. "Steven, you can come up now." Said Tristan as he hid his pistols underneath the couch.

"Are your friends gone?" asked Steven as he walked into the living room. "It was really loud up here!"

"Oh we were just having some fun up here." Said Tristan as he lightly touched his ear "I coughed up some blood after we had a little too much fun and they got worried afterwards. So they left me to rest." Said Tristan as he connected his laptop to the TV. "I'm sorry it took a while, but hey. Dogcopter's done downloading!"

"Yeah! Dogcopter, here I come!" screamed Steven as he jumped onto the couch.

"Thanks for installing this, whatever is." Said Mayor Dewey.

"It's a VPN, and no problem, just remember. Be careful how much you take out of this account. Because people like that come and try to take that away from you." Said Tristan as he walked out of the room. He walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer.

"Hey, aren't you like, sixteen." Said Buck from the couch.

"I'm eighteen." Said Tristan "and after all the shit I've just given your father and the trouble he's given me. I deserve a beer." Tristan walked to the door.

"You live in that cool light house right?" asked Buck.

"Yeah, why?" asked Tristan.

"We could hang out sometime." Said Buck "I'll introduce you to my friends."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Said Tristan "I'm too busy moving my stuff in."

"We could help you?" Said Buck.

"Sure, I guess." Said Tristan as he walked out the door "see you later." Tristan walked on the beach. _'That was pretty cruel of you. Rejecting him like that.'_ "I don't care." Said Tristan as he began to take bigger gulps of the beer in his hand until it was completely empty. "Just leave me alone, I'm almost home anyways." _'Oh but I don't want to. I want to keep talking to you, and stop getting drunk. It's harder for you feel the pain this way._ ' "That's the point dumbass." Tristan fell on the couch, not even bothering to climb up the stairs. "Now, how are you going to make me feel pain this time?" Tristan smirked as he passed out. Again unaware of Garnet watching him from the roof.

"At least it makes since now, why you keep on drinking yourself stupid." Said Garnet as she threw the empty can in the trash. "But why are you letting her do this to you?"

 **Thank you for reading, for those who don't know the voice that's typed** ' _like this'_ **is the gem inside of him. I hope you enjoyed this and if you did tell me what gem you want Tristan to have. Please tell me in the comments (or review box, whatever it's called).**


	7. Chapter 7

Tristan dropped the mattress on the floor in the basement. Right next to his duffel bags "now I got to move the rest of my shit up to the light house." Said Tristan as he went upstairs. Tristan picked up one of the boxes of workout equipment when someone knocked on the door. "Must be Steven." Muttered Tristan as he opened the door. He was surprised to see Buck, Jenny and Sour Cream at his door.

"Yo." Said Sour Cream.

"Hey." Said Tristan "what are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to help you move some stuff." Said Buck.

"Yeah." Said Jenny "Buck told us how you helped the Mayor and how you just moved in. So we decided to help!"

"Oh, well then come on in I guess." Said Tristan as he let them in.

"Whoa." Said Buck "nice place you got here."

"Thanks?" said Tristan, he wasn't quite sure why they decided to help.

"I could like, totally chill out here." Said Sour Cream as he sat down on the couch.

"Yeah, it's a nice place you got." Said Jenny as she looked at the TV.

"Yeah, it's pretty nice." Said Tristan as he picked up a box. "If you decide to help, be very careful. This stuff is very heavy." With that Tristan began taking boxes up to the top of the light house. After taking up about half the boxes, the others decided to help.

"Jeez." Panted Sour Cream after trying to lift one of the boxes.

"What's in here?" asked Jenny "solid gold?"

"Oh hey." Said Tristan as he stepped down stairs "I left some of the lighter one's for you in cause you wanted to help." Said Tristan as he picked up two boxes, putting them on his shoulder "It should take three of you to lift that."

"Wait what?" said Jenny.

"What're in theses boxes dude?" asked Buck as he opened one up.

"Weights." Said Tristan as he began to climb the stairs again. When Buck opened them, they were all weights. From dumbbells, to barbell weights, they were all there.

"Oh you got to be kidding me." Said Sour Cream as he looked at how heavy these where.

"Oh sorry." Said Tristan as he came back down "I didn't mean to leave that one there." Tristan closed up the box and picked it up with ease. "If you want you can take out the weights and bring them up individually."

"Yeah, we might need to do that." Said Jenny as she picked up a hundred pound dumbbell. "We're definitely gonna need to do that."

"Jeez." Said Buck as he sat at the top of the light house "why do you have such heavy weights, and why so many!"

"It's just standard workout equipment." Said Tristan sipping on a beer "why are you making such a big deal over it?"

"Because you have bodybuilder type workout gear." Said Sour Cream.

"Yeah." Said Jenny as she sipped on her soda "definitely not standard." Tristan just shrugged as he sipped on his beer. "So, you guys staying for when I put this all together?"

"Um, no." Said Buck as everybody chuckled.

"Doing this is a workout in itself." Said Sour Cream.

"I guess." Said Tristan.

"How about we just chill out and watch a movie." Said Jenny.

"Sure." Said Tristan as he and everyone else walked down stairs "what do you want to watch?"

"Something scary." Said Sour Cream "but also chill."

"Uh, that's not possible." Said Tristan.

"How about a comedy?" Said Jenny.

"Yeah, a comedy." Said Buck.

"I don't really care." Said Tristan "just pick something." He gave them the laptop and went to grab a six pack of beer.

"Dude, shouldn't you be wasted by now?" asked Sour Cream as he sat down "you've already had like four."

"I usually am." Said Tristan as he opened the first can and guzzled it down. The rest of the night was them watching a horrible comedy while Tristan tried to get himself drunk.

"That was hilarious." Said Jenny as she walked away from the lighthouse with Buck and Sour Cream.

"Yeah." Said Sour Cream "and chill."

"It was alright." Said Buck "but Tristan wouldn't stop drinking."

"Yeah, what's up with him." Said Sour Cream.

"I couldn't even smell it." Said Jenny "which is weird cause he drank all six of those cans and yet he still didn't look even a little bit tipsy."

"Weird." Said Buck as he and rest of them walked into town.

"We need your help!" Said Pearl as she barged into Tristan's house. She looked around and saw the beer cans scattered all over the place. With Tristan just sitting on the couch staring at the wall. "Is, this a bad time?"

"No." Said Tristan "it's perfect timing." He got up and walked to the door.

"Oh." Said Pearl as she and Tristan began walked to the edge of the cliff "well if you say so." Pearl jumped all the way down to the temple while Tristan landed on the statue's hand. Tristan got ready to jump down to the beach when the warp pad behind him activated.

"You'll just hurt yourself." Said Garnet "get on, it's much safer."

"Again, how do you know these things?" asked Tristan as the warp pad activated. Garnet only grinned as she nudged her glasses.

"Perfect we're all here." Said Pearl as Garnet and Tristan walked off the pad and into the house.

"So what are we doing?" asked Tristan.

"We're gonna kick Peridot's butt." Said Amethyst as she walked out of the temple.

"Yeah." Screamed Steven as he got up from folding laundry. Running over to the warp pad, activating it. Tristan looked around at the kindergarden, it was old, creepy and quiet.

"I should've made my house here." Muttered Tristan as he began exploring the area "much more peace and quiet. With no one to find me."

"Well." Said Pearl as she flashed her gem light around the kindergarden "nothing looks activated." She dragged her finger on one of the injectors "in fact it doesn't look like anything's budged since the last time we were here."

"You're right." Said Garnet "but just because Peridot hasn't been here yet. Doesn't mean she won't come." Steven nodded.

"Isn't that a good thing." Asked Tristan as he kicked one of the fallen injectors.

"Yes it is." Said Garnet "but just in case, let's do a double check of the perimeter. That way we can monitor any future entry."

Steven nodded "sounds good to me." Said Steven as he began to walk off.

"You should go with him Tristan." Said Pearl.

"Fine." Said Tristan as he began to jog towards Steven. "So what was this place?"

"It was were Gems were born." He said with wide arms "they would suck the life out of the earth before emerging!" Tristan paused as he placed his hand over his chest. "Are, you ok?" But before Tristan could reply, they heard a voice echoing throughout the kindergarden. It was sort of muffled until a green looking gem arose from the ground.

"The fusion experiments are developing properly." Said the green Gem "a few have even emerged early." She looked up and gasped when she saw us.

"Is that Peridot?" Whispered Tristan, Steven nodded

Peridot looked at them in fear "are the other ones with you?" Steven began shaking his head before smiling and nodding. "Of course." She face planted "why not." Tristan summoned his Sabre before sprinting right at Peridot. She yelped and began to run away.

"Peridot!" Screamed Garnet.

"There she is." Said Pearl.

"There's nowhere to go." Screamed Amethyst as Peridot began nearing a wall.

"You're cornered." Screamed Pearl, but apparently not. Since she began running up the wall.

"Hey." Whined Steven "I can't do that."

"Move aside." Said Tristan as he began to back up. He sprinted right at the wall and began running up it. Briefly using the holes in the wall as footing to kick up. Tristan reached up to grab her when Pearls spear flew right past him. Tristan gasped as he missed Peridot and stabbed his Sabre into the rock.

"Ha!" Screamed Peridot "missed!" She was right, it did miss her. But it hit an injector instead, causing it to fall.

"Fuck me." Mumbled Tristan as he made his Sabre disappear and kicked back. Soaring high in the air, until he crashed flat on his back. Tristan gasped for air as he faintly heard a crashing sound and the Gems talking.

"Do you think she's hurt?" Asked Steven, but right as he said that Peridot emerged from the rubble.

Amethyst laughed "nope." She lassoed Peridot with her whip. Peridot frowned and touched the whip, causing electric currents to run through it. "Whoa." Said Amethyst as she let go "my whip!"

"You Crystal Clods." Said Peridot as she ran in Tristan's direction "go ahead, wreck this place. See if I care, I already got what I needed."

"Get back here!" Said Pearl, Peridot raised her hand in the air and her fingers began to spin. Making her begin to fly in the air. Tristan grabbed her foot, causing her to shout in surprise.

"Get off me you clod!" She shocked Tristan, causing him to let go and fall again. This time, he made it on his feet. Peridot began to laugh maniacally, but she just sounded like an annoying five year old that finally won a game of Battle Ship.

"I'm gonna bop her good." Screamed Amethyst as she and Pearl gave chase. Tristan just brushed himself off before walking over to where Garnet and Steven were. Tristan opened his mouth but Garnet looked at him.

"No, you cannot leave." Said Garnet "beside we have to find out what Peridot was doing here." She put Steven down "if Peridot's mission was to reactivate the Kindergarden, then the injectors would be on. But look, they're not."

"Oh." Said Steven.

"Let's see what she was actually doing." Said Garnet as she began lifting the broken injector up off the ground "in here."

"I remember this." Said Tristan as he and Steven walked over to the hole in the ground.

"You're brains and brawn." Said Steven "the whole package."

"Thank you." Said Garnet as she gave Steven a high five.

"Is it cause you're a fusion?" asked Steven. Tristan didn't care, he didn't even know what the hell a fusion was.

"I have to keep some of my secrets." Said Garnet as Tristan jumped in the hole "No Tristan, wait!" Again, he didn't care. He didn't even get a lick of sleep last night. So wasn't in the mood to follow orders. Tristan looked around the area, it was nice. Nothing compared to the newer Gem tech, but hey. It was better than human tech.

Tristan began looking around when he heard Steven and Garnet approaching "what's it like to stay fused all the-whoa!" said Steven as he looked at the place.

"I know, right?" Said Tristan as he looked at the panels "it's awesome."

"I don't know how but, this place is even creepier than the last time we were here." Said Steven as Garnet summoned her gauntlets.

"Yes, there's something going on." Said Garnet as she look around.

"The powers not on." Said Steven "what was Peridot doing?"

Garnet looked up "it looks like she pulled these out the wall." She looked at Tristan "something's strange."

"For once." Said Tristan as he summoned his Sabre "I agree." The pillars around them began to shake violently.

"Garnet." Said Steven "is there, something in there?" Suddenly, a hand stuck to a foot fell from the ceiling.

"The hell is that?" asked Tristan as Garnet picked it up. They all looked up to the ceiling, only to see that it was infested with creepy looking body parts fused with other body parts.

"What are they?" asked Steven as Garnet poofed one.

"Don't know." Said Tristan as he began poofing the swarm of fused body parts "don't care." Tristan began cutting and stabbing into as many as he could. But there were too many of them, they got past him and began to crawl towards Steven and Garnet. Tristan heard Garnet growl as she through what looked like two gem shards stuck together. "Guess she doesn't like them either." Mumbled Tristan as he poofed the last one.

"Garnet!" Screamed Steven. Tristan turned around to see Garnet glowing white with one of those gigantic forced fusion on her. Tristan ran up to Steven, quickly poofing the ones by him and looking up at Garnet. "This isn't like you!" Screamed Steven.

"What's happening to her?" asked Tristan.

"I don't know!" said Steven. Garnet Growled as she knocked the forced fusion's hands away. Walking up to it and grabbing it.

"She's back to normal I guess." Said Tristan as he turned around "guess I should start getting rid of these." He heard Garnet talking in the background, but he just tuned them out. He dissipated his Sabre and raised his foot to crush the gem. He felt a shadow fall upon him and heavy footsteps, he turned around and punched whatever was behind him with everything he had. What he expected was another huge forced fusion, not Garnet with a scowl on her face. "Garnet!?" Tristan jumped back.

"Yo." Said Amethyst as she slide in "we're back."

"We lost Peridot, her fingers were too fast for us." Said Pearl "oh Tristan, your hand is badly injured."

"It is?" Tristan looked at his left hand. It was a bloody mess with a couple broken bones "it doesn't look that bad to me." Pearl looked over at the forced fusion crawling onto Amethyst.

"Um." Said Pearl picking it up "what are these things?"

"Put them down!" Screamed Garnet.

"What?" Said Pearl as she threw it on the floor.

"We need to poof and bubble all of them." Said Garnet as she slammed her fist onto the forced fusion "we can't let any escape!"

"Yo Tristan." Said Amethyst "who jacked up your hand so much." Garnet tensed up at the question. Tristan bent over and picked up one of the fused shards.

"One of these." He said tossing it at her "but much, much bigger." Tristan looked over at Garnet as she continued to poof more of the forced fusions. Tristan began to climb up "if you don't mind I'm gonna leave."

"Oh no problem." Said Pearl "just be careful, and you know how to activate the warp pad right?"

"Uh." Said Tristan "no." Pearl sighed.

"Steven, could you go with him?" asked Pearl.

"Yes Pearl." Said Steven as he and Tristan made their way out of the kindergarden and onto the warp pad.

"You know you didn't have to lie." Said Steven.

"Well get used to it." Said Tristan "because I'm gonna do it a lot."

It was dark outside and Tristan just sat at the top of the light house. He finished his twentieth beer when Garnet walked up. "Are you ok?"

"No." Said Tristan as he tossed the empty can to the side "no I'm not ok. I can't get drunk, I can't fall asleep, and I'm coughing up even more blood than usual." Tristan placed his arm over his chest "I think I'm speeding up the process by giving it more energy."

"I meant your hand." Said Garnet.

"Oh who gives two shits about my hand." Said Tristan "just wrap it up and don't fucking use it for a bit."

"I'm sorry." Said Garnet "I should have told you that we could bubble it instead."

"It's fine." Said Tristan "I don't care anymore."

"But why?" asked Garnet "I could've killed you!"

"Just leave." Said Tristan "you being nice to me is making me want to puke."

"I'm sorry." Said Garnet "I'll leave you be." With that, Garnet left. Tristan smiled as he saw her drop down to the beach.

"At least now she won't watch me while I sleep." Said Tristan as he began to unbox his new workout equipment.


	8. Chapter 8

"I won't let you do that." Said the mysterious gem.

"Of course you won't." said Tristan as he broke his chains "you know I'm starting to get better at this." He ran directly at her, but she only summoned her sabre. Stabbing Tristan in the stomach, twisting it so that his intestines would fall out.

"Yes you are." She said before slowly turning to ash "but you still need much more practice."

Tristan opened his eyes, he was still sitting on top of the light house. The wind cutting through his hair as the sun began to rise. "Tristan!" yelled Steven from the bottom of the light house.

"Oh, hey." Said Tristan as he leaped down.

"How did you get up there?" asked Steven as Tristan brushed himself off.

"I have no idea." Said Tristan as he walked inside.

"Really?" asked Steven as he followed.

"Yep." Tristan said putting on a shirt "I was putting all my equipment together at night, than I opened my eyes and I was up there." Tristan grabbed his red leather jacket and ran to the door "So, you ready to get something to eat?"

"Doughnuts?" said Steven.

"I have no idea how you can have something so sweet for breakfast." Said Tristan as he walked into town. "How about we go get doughnuts after we eat."

"Ok." Said Steven with a sad look on his face.

"Hey cheer up." Said Tristan as he walked to the beach "I have a special treat for you."

"Really?" asked Steven, the stars back in his eyes.

"Yup." Said Tristan "we're going out of town to a dinner."

"But, we're so far away from, well. Anything." Said Steven.

"That's why you're gonna hold onto my back for this." Said Tristan as he bent down.

"Ok." Said Steven as he hopped on.

"Now, hold on really tight." Said Tristan as he began sprinting down the highway. _'Just like when we first came here.'_ "Yeah." Whispered Tristan as he began to grin.

"You enjoying your eggs?" asked Tristan as he took a bite of his biscuits and gravy.

"Yeah!" Said Steven with a big smile on his face "I didn't even know there were places with food this good!"

"It's just a diner." Said Tristan "you should wait until we go to a five star restaurant."

"We're going to one of those?" asked Steven.

"Not anytime soon." Said Tristan as he took a sip of his coffee "but when I find one that's not in empire city, we'll go."

"Road trip!" said Steven "you should get a car."

"Maybe." Said Tristan "never really had an interest in them but yeah. If I find something like a cheap truck then we could go on a road trip." Tristan pushed his plate away as he looked out the window.

"It's a beautiful day isn't it?" Tristan turned around to see his old friend, one that also happened to covered in scars now. Tristan scowled "You disappear for a year and when I finally get to see you, you give me that look. You're even colder then you used to be."

"Steven." Said Tristan "I want you to go to the bathroom for a bit." Steven opened his mouth to protest, but closed it. Complaining when Tristan had that look on his face was impossible. Steven got up and walked into the bathroom, and a man just happened to follow him in. "So." Said Tristan shifting his attention to his old friend "why are you here? Your bar is far away from here."

"And so is your home." Tristan tensed up.

"Empire city was never my home." Said Tristan "it was my prison."

"If you say so." Said the man.

"What do you want Keith?" asked Tristan "Do you want money? Information?"

"I want my friend back." Said Keith "I want the only person I trust right now."

"Well that person died about a year ago." Said Tristan "along with my trust."

"Don't be that way." Said Keith.

"Shut the fuck up." Said Tristan slamming his fist on the table "You think I wouldn't notice your men? They're all over this goddamn diner, and there's one that followed Steven in the bathroom."

Keith raised his eyebrow "I didn't bring my men."

"You never were much of a bluffer." Said Tristan "but don't worry, your man should be dead soon."

"What are you talking about?" asked Keith "I came here alone!"

"Apparently not." Said Tristan as Steven walked out of the bathroom with a worried look on his face "your men may be good, but I trained this one to be better."

"Uh, Tristan." Said Steven as he walked up to the table "we should go, like right now."

"You were followed." Said Tristan.

"That's impossible!" said Keith.

"Looks like old age is catching up to you." Said Tristan as he got up "if I were you. I'd kill the six people with guns in the booths before taking out the three in the blue cars." Tristan walked off with Steven hot on his heels. Tristan kneeled down "get on, before he catches up".

"When did that kid get so good?" muttered Keith as he got up "last time I checked only thing he could do was slice people's throats."

"Um, excuse me sir." Said the waitress "that man said you were paying."

Keith sighed "that cheap sack of shit."

"Are you sure it was ok to just leave him there with the check?" asked Steven as they walked out of the Big Doughnut.

"Of course." Said Tristan "he was one of them."

"One of them?" asked Steven, clearly confused.

"You remember the guy you knocked out in the bathroom?" asked Tristan

"How do you know about that!?" asked Steven.

"Oh come on, it was obvious." Said Tristan "besides, you confirmed my suspicions when you came out of there panicking."

"Oh." Said Steven "please don't tell the gems. I'd be in so much trouble if they found out I used my gem powers against a human!"

"No problem." Said Tristan "I wasn't planning on doing that anyways."

Steven sighed "thanks."

Tristan opened the door, only to see some guy and Peedee with a camera. "Oh, hey Peedee." Said Tristan.

"Hey Tristan." Said Peedee.

"What are you doing here?" asked Tristan.

"We're here because you stole my club house!" Screamed the large man.

"This is my older brother Ronaldo." Said Peedee.

"Oh hey." Said Tristan "Steven told me that you use to use this place as some sort of club house."

"Yeah!" said Ronaldo "and you stole it!"

"No, I bought it." Said Tristan "give me a second." Tristan ran inside and came back with a large stack of cash "this should be enough for all the furniture that you left here." Ronaldo looked at how much he'd been given and ran away yelling that he was a rich man. "Did I give you too much?"

"No." said Peedee "Ronaldo spent a lot of money on that club house. So you probably gave him the right amount. He's just never held that much money in one stack before."

"Oh, ok." Said Tristan "well, see you later I guess."

 **Few hours later**

"Tristan, open the door!" said Jenny as she pounded on the door.

"What's up?" asked Tristan as he opened the door.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up." Said Jenny.

"You didn't." said Tristan.

"But Ronaldo is running around with a petition to kick you out of here." Said Jenny.

"What?" said Tristan.

"Yeah, he even made a video online saying how you stole the light house and tried to bribe him." Said Jenny.

"I didn't bribe him!" said Tristan "I paid him back for all this furniture!"

"Well that's not how he sees it." Said Jenny.

"I don't care anymore." Said Tristan "he can't kick me out. I'll just give the mayor more money if he convinces the mayor to try to move me."

"You have a lot money, don't you?" asked Jenny.

"I guess." Said Tristan "you want to come in for a drink?" Jenny looked a bit nervous. "Oh don't worry, I don't drink alcohol anymore, can't get drunk for some reason. Plus it taste bad, I have soda, or juice if you want."

Jenny smiled "sure." She walked in "but first, put a shirt on."

"Oh." Said Tristan "Sorry about that."


	9. Chapter 9

"Why am I here?" asked Tristan.

"You're a crystal gem now." Said Garnet "you need to come on missions with us until we can find how to make you human again."

"Also you live like, right above us." Said Amethyst "so you can like, jump down to us."

"True." Said Pearl.

"Alright I get it, I'm lazy." Said Tristan as he got off lion "so what was the problem in the first place?"

"The communication hub was fixed." Said Garnet.

"So?" asked Tristan.

"She's trying to contact homeworld." Said Garnet.

"Ok." Tristan summoned his sabre "now I see why this is bad."

Steven gasped "you guys should form Sugilite!"

"Sugi-what now?" asked Tristan, but no one was listening to him.

"Yeah?" said Amethyst as she rubbed her arm "well, it's up to Garnet I guess." Amethyst turned around "what do you say? Shall we mash it up?"

"No." Said Garnet.

"What?" said Amethyst "but, don't we need to be huge like last time?"

"Ok everybody, time out." Said Tristan "who the hell is Sugilite?"

"Oh, it's Garnet and Amethyst fused." Said Steven like it was a simple thing.

"Oh great." Said Tristan sarcastically "that explains _everything._ "

"Ok, cool." Said Steven turning around.

Tristan face palmed "this kid is so fucking oblivious."

"Come on, let's do this." Said Garnet as walked away and Pearl followed.

"Wait, what just happened?" asked Tristan.

"Garnet and Pearl are gonna fuse." Said Amethyst, but she sounded kind of, sad.

"Jesus I really need to pay more attention." Muttered Tristan as he looked over at the two Gems dancing. Steven ran over whooping and shouting "Fusion." Over and over again.

"*Tsk*" muttered Tristan "this oddly, sexual." But he turned his attention back to them when Garnet threw Pearl in the air! Pearl fell on Garnet and there was a flash of light!

"Good evening everybody!" said a large women as the curtains turned into butterflies. "This is the lovely Sardonyx coming to you live from the soon to be former communication hub. How are you all doing tonight?"

"Great." Said Amethyst in a monotone voice.

Tristan opened his mouth to ask what the hell was going on but Steven yelled "giant women!" before he could.

"Oh my stars." Said Sardonyx as she cupped her hands down for Steven to stand on "if it isn't Steven Universe, we finally meet. So, what do you think? Was I worth the wait? What am I saying, of course I was!" She began to laugh, Tristan just scowled and sat down.

"Annoying." Muttered "but if she's what we need so that I can go back home, then I'll accept it."

Tristan walked off to the communication hub, it was, interesting to say the least. "Now how do you work?" There were no symbols, and as far as he could tell, nothing inside them. "So what makes you function?" Tristan was too distracted to notice that Sardonyx had begun to destroy the communication hub.

"Watch out!" screamed Amethyst.

Tristan, without thinking, just summoned his sabre and cut in the air. He didn't even look, he just, did it! "What the?" Tristan looked at the sabre in his hand "when did I summon you?"

"Tristan, are you alright." Asked Amethyst.

"Yeah, why?" asked Tristan as he walked back over.

"That pillar, the one you destroyed!" Said Amethyst "didn't it hurt when a large piece hit you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Said Tristan as he walked over to Steven.

"Now, just remember everybody." Said Sardonyx "if you ever have need of the, lovely Sardonyx. Let Pearl and Garnet know, and I'll be there in a flash. Literally." With that, Sardonyx disappeared and Pearl and Garnet appeared. Hugging each other. They started laughing, and Steven started whooping joy. Tristan just stared at them.

"I've decided." Said Tristan as he leaned up against lion "I, really, don't want to fuse."

"No." said Tristan "I'm not going back there to see Sardonyx destroy the hub again."

"But you're a Crystal Gem too." Said Pearl.

"And I'm a useless Crystal Gem if all I'm gonna do is stare at someone." Said Tristan leaning back "now just go on and fuse with Garnet already. I want to find a nice restaurant."

"Why?" asked Pearl.

Tristan sighed "don't you have someone to fuse with?" Pearl opened her mouth, but just closed it and left. "Seriously, I don't want to see another egotistical asshole running around all the time." Tristan grabbed a soda "had enough of that when I was killing people." He took a sip of his soda.

"So that's what you use to do." Said Amethyst from behind him, making him begin coughing up his soda.

"Fucking hell Amethyst." Said Tristan "just walk in through the door."

"I did." Said Amethyst "you just didn't notice me."

"Of course I didn't." said Tristan as he sat down on his couch "so what are you doing here?"

"I didn't want to go with them." Said Amethyst as she sat on railing by the stairs "so I just came here." Tristan just grunted as Amethyst took his empty can and chewed on it. "How did you do it." Asked Amethyst.

"Do what?" Said Tristan as he nervously shifted on the couch.

"How did you kill others?" asked Amethyst walking up to him "was it all fast and cool, or like. Slow and disgusting."

"Uh." Tristan was sort of at a loss for words "it was a mix of both, I guess."

"How?" asked Amethyst, completely oblivious to how uncomfortable Tristan was.

"Well it depended on who the bosses told me to kill." Said Tristan "if I was in a rush or had no time left. It was just a bullet to the head, or a blade to the throat. But…" Tristan paused for a bit "if I had the time and there were doing something I didn't like I would. Kill them very, very slowly." Amethyst looked right into Tristan's eyes, and the look he had made her shiver.

"I should…" Said Amethyst slowly backing up "I should go, the others might be worried."

"Yeah." Said Tristan as he continued to stare at the wall "bye." But Amethyst was already gone. _'That was harsh._ ' "I guess it was." Said Tristan as he began to walk up the stairs. _'You didn't have to scare her off. Now only that Pearl and Steven trusts you.'_ "That's not a problem, as soon as you're out of me I'm leaving." _'Oh but you don't want me to leave.'_ There was nothing but silence after that as Tristan began to work out. It was the only thing he could do to stop thinking about everything. If he couldn't kill, then he'd just do this.

"How much longer will you take!" asked Jade as she walked into the control room of ship "We need to find that hybrid before Blue Diamond asks us to return back to homeworld."

"I'm sorry, but we can't find him." Said the Peridot "there's too many corrupted gems for me to find his exact location. He could be any of the hundreds of dots on the screen."

"Then we're going to search every, single, one of them." Said Jade before turning around and leaving the room.

"Oh no." Muttered Blue Pearl "they're starting to get serious about this." She looked out the window "I have to find a way to warn him!"


	10. Chapter 10

Tristan dragged the cold steel down the man's face, his screams echoing throughout the alley. His nails pulled out, and his face carved in. It was a scene that would make anyone throw up.

"Damn you're brutal." Said Keith.

"I have to be." Said Tristan "fear prevents anyone from messing with us."

"Not everyone." Said Keith.

"Yeah, but those are the people that end up like him." Said Tristan as he wiped the blood off his dagger.

Keith smirked "you're an interesting one."

"Just another puppet." Said Tristan.

"True." Said Keith "but a couple of your strings are missing."

Tristan grinned as he walked up to Keith and put a hand on his shoulder "be careful about what you say, and where you say it." Tristan walked down the street "you might just get caught saying something that the higher ups don't like hearing."

"No wonder the Diamonds wanted you." Said the gem "you're just what they wanted."

"That's never good." Said Tristan.

"Oh really?" said the Gem as she walked over to Tristan "I thought it was an honor."

"The only honor I've ever gotten from them is meeting Blue Pearl." Said Tristan, causing her to frown. Tristan chuckled and leaned even closer to her "and meeting you, I guess." She leaned in even closer.

"You enjoying doing this don't you?" Tristan smirked.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Their faces were so close that Tristan could feel her breath against his. "But I can tell you this, I'm enjoying spending my last moments with you. I want to give you something before I go." Said Tristan as he sat down "before you take my life, I want to give you your name."

"No." She moved away from him "I, I don't deserve this."

"Yes you do." Said Tristan as he got even closer to her "besides, what are the others going to call you when you emerge from me?"

"No, no you don't understand."

"And I don't need to." Said Tristan as he grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss. They stayed like that for a while before Tristan let her go "listen, you're Beryl. From now on, you're my Scarlet Beryl."

"No." said Beryl "I, I don't need a name anymore. Not when I'm gonna die tonight."

Tristan stopped breathing "what do you mean?"

"I, I found a way to reverse the process of my gem killing you." Said Beryl "but, there's a side effect."

"I don't think I want to know." Said Tristan.

"You stop dying, but." Beryl paused "I, become a part you. Literally, physically and mentally. You become more like a gem then Steven himself."

"So, it's like fusion?" asked Tristan.

"Not exactly." Said Beryl "you become like me, and you gain my memories. But not my personality." Beryl began crying, but didn't make a sound "I disappear."

The information began to fully sink in with Tristan "you'll die." Beryl said nothing. Tristan grabbed Beryl and hugged her. Tristan began sobbing, hugging Beryl even tighter "I spent so long picking out your name. I spent so long getting to know you, and I spent so long planning out how you would meet the Crystal Gems. So why?" Tristan made Beryl face him "why couldn't you just let me die. Why couldn't you just let me give you a happy life."

"I've enjoyed my time with you." Said Beryl.

"No." said Tristan "no, don't say that! You're going to live! You're going to take my place in life and you're gonna experience it all."

"Thank you for the name." said Beryl "please, don't forget me."

"Stop it!" screamed Tristan "it's my turn to be sacrificed, I won't let another person that I love disappear when I'm right here!"

"But you're not here anymore." Said Beryl.

"What?" Beryl kissed Tristan, and Tristan kissed back before he opened his eyes.

"*Argh!" Screamed Tristan as he woke up. His chest caved in, blood spewing out of his chest and mouth. His blood painted the walls as Tristan choked, this was the worst pain he'd ever felt. It was also the most unique. Tristan screamed as he felt a hard object emerge from his chest. It moved his bones in, and out of place. Until it settled right above his heart. Tristan breathed harshly as he laid on his floor, until slowly his breath become nothing more than a whisper.

"There's something wrong with Tristan." Said Garnet as she ran out of the temple.

"Oh no." said Pearl "what did he do this time?" But Garnet didn't answer, she just ran out of the house.

"Jeez." Said Amethyst "he must be in huge trouble if Garnet's gonna be that grim about it."

"Let's go." Said Steven "we got to help Tristan!"

Garnet almost unfused at the sight. It was horrific, blood covered the walls. While blood pooled from his body. Tristan, was dead. "Hurry up." Said Steven.

"No!" screamed Garnet "get Steven out of here!"

"What?" said Pearl.

"No-" Protested Garnet, but it was too late as Pearl ,Amethyst, and Steven all walked in. Pearl screamed in horror while Amethyst threw up the motor oil she had for breakfast. And Steven, he just stood there in shock as the scene settled in his mind. Comprehending the sight before him. "Get him out of here!" ordered Garnet as the others pulled a silent Steven away as tears ran down his face. "I'm so sorry." Said Garnet "I wish that I'd found a way to reverse the effects sooner."

"Don't be sorry." Said Tristan as he opened his eyes. Garnet gasped as she stepped back, it was, impossible! He wasn't breathing, and he'd lost enough blood to kill five humans! How was he even alive? "If you're gonna apologize to anyone." Said Tristan as he stood up "apologize to Beryl."

"Who, who's Beryl." Stuttered Garnet.

Tristan put a hand over the gem protruding out of his chest "she was the gem placed inside of me."

"G-Garnet, we're back." Said Pearl "we had to get Steven to calm down. He's lying in bed right now, he passed out from-" Pearl paused as she saw Tristan put on clean clothes and his red jacket as he walked past an angry Garnet "…Shock."

"You can't just shatter them!" Screamed Garnet "it's not right!"

"Your ideals don't have to match mine." Said Tristan.

"I know how you're feeling." Said Garnet "but that doesn't give you the right to murder someone."

Tristan chuckled "I've been murdering people my whole life." Tristan walked out of the lighthouse "so until you stop nagging me. Let's just agree to disagree." With that Tristan sprinted off to the highway, more specifically. The place where he first landed when he came back to earth.

"What in the world happened here!" asked Pearl as she walked over to Garnet.

"He's, back." Said Garnet.

"Oh well I can see that!" screamed Pearl "but what happened?"

Garnet hesitated before answering "he's become more gem then human."

"Like Steven?" asked Pearl.

"Yes, and no." said Garnet "I'll explain later, but what's important right now is stopping him."

"Stopping him from what?" asked Pearl.

"Stopping him from shattering the gems that brought him here." Said Garnet


	11. Chapter 11

"Where is he!" shouted Jade as she crushed the corrupted gem in her hand "we've look for every dot on the screen, but we can't find him!"

"Um, commander." Said a Peridot "we've found something particularly unique."

"What is it?" asked Jade.

"It's a dot, it's moved rapidly towards the area where we once landed when we first came here. And it's just been, sitting there." Said the Peridot "it's unusual for these, _things,_ to move so erratically and then just stand idle."

"It must be him!" said Blue Pearl as she ran over to the ships controls "please tell me this gets to him!"

"Gets to whom?" asked Jade as she walked in.

"Oh, Jade!" said Blue Pearl as she stepped back "I didn't know that you were over there."

Jade grinned "oh really?" She walked over to Blue Pearl "and what were you doing up here in the control room?"

"Oh!" said Blue Pearl "I was just, putting in the coordinates for the ship. So that we may get to our location faster."

"Really?" said Jade as she got even closer to Blue Pearl "and how do you know where to go?"

"Oh well that's fairly simple." Said Blue Pearl, she'd prepared this excuse for when she got caught. "I was walking by and I overheard your conversation. So I decided to speed things up and put in the correct coordinates."

Jade frowned, just staring at Blue Pearl as she showed no emotion. Just standing still, just being a Pearl. Jade sighed "thank you, but next time. Let us handle the real jobs."

"Yes ma'am." Said Blue Pearl as she walked out. She walked into an unoccupied room before closing the door and letting out a breath that she didn't need.

"Where could he have gone?" asked Pearl.

"I don't know." Said Garnet "my future vision, it's failing me."

"I thought he was dead." Said Amethyst.

"He was." Said Garnet firmly "but, his gem brought him back to life."

"Is that what happened?" asked Steven as he sniffled and wiped his tears away.

"Probably." Said Garnet.

"Probably?" said Pearl "you don't even know what happened to him."

"Nobody did." Said Garnet "we were so stuck up about his past that we ignored him. We isolated him and let him die slowly."

"But, he was, bad!" said Amethyst.

"No he wasn't!" screamed Steven "I don't care about what he did in the past! He so nice to me, and he takes care of my like an older brother." More tears ran down his face "why can't you just see that he's changed?"

Tristan sneezed as he stood up, looking at the large hand ship before him. "Finally." Muttered Tristan as he walked forward. He was done waiting, done letting them think they had any power, done being human. Tristan summoned his sabre and waited until the doors were open. He pointed his sabre at the door as over twenty quartz soldier's stormed out. Jade walked out, Blue Pearl close behind. "I see you've finally come back to us." Said Jade as she walked up front "are you ready to do your duty, or die by our hands?" Tristan said nothing, his blood red eyes just staring at them as his continued to point his sabre at them. "I'm surprised you haven't died!" said Jade "I must admit you surprise me. But unless you kill those crystal gems, then your gem will consume you." Jade grinned "you've no choice." Tristan put his hand to his blade and cut himself! Running his hand throughout the entire blade, soaking it in his blood. Jade frowned "what are you doing?" Tristan pointed his sabre at them once more, his eyes glinted before his blade disintegrated. Jade and the other just stood there speechless before laughing "is that what you've prepared? So useless!"

Tristan smirked as the wind around him began to pick up and crimson colored pedals surrounded him, flying wildly like they had a mind of their own. "I wouldn't laugh just yet." Tristan pointed his bloodied hand towards them all, causing the crimson pedals to shatter all of them. Except for Jade and Blue Pearl, as the pedals flew into the ship and destroyed about a fourth of it. Blue Pearl and Jade gasped when they saw Tristan, both for completely different reasons. His jacket and clothes completely torn up, deep cuts covered his body as the blood dripping off him began to float and shape shift into the crimson pedals. "I haven't quite yet gotten used to it yet." Said Tristan as he walked forward "but so far, it's been a good first attempt."

"Your gem." Stuttered Jade "why do you have a gem on your body, it should be inside. It should soon be emerging, so why?" Jade screamed "why are you alive?"

"Tristan." Whispered Blue Pearl as she reached her hand out.

"Let's just say, your plan didn't quite work out." Said Tristan as he walked forward. He stretched his hand out, creating a dome around Jade. Tristan walked over to Blue Pearl "you should leave."

"But, what about…" said Blue Pearl as she heard a loud crashing and grunts from the scarlet dome.

"Oh, don't worry about her." Said Tristan "I'll shatter her myself, but you on the other hand should go back to homeworld."

"No." said Blue Pearl "I'm staying with you."

"No." said Tristan "if Blue Diamond were to find out that the whole mission went wrong and that you betrayed her." Tristan shook his head "entire fleets would be sent. It would mean the end for the Crystal Gems, and possible earth."

"But…." Said Blue Pearl "what would I say to her?"

"Just tell her that I successfully destroyed the Crystal gems but that Jades small platoon also got destroyed and that you narrowly escaped." Said Tristan.

"But she wouldn't believe me!" Said Blue Pearl.

"Uh, look at what I did to the ship." Said Tristan "pretty sure she'd believe that story if you came back in that condition."

"True." Said Blue Pearl.

"Now." Said Tristan as he approached the dome "time to shatter the bitch that made my already miserable life even worse."

"Damn." Said Jade as she continued to stab at all the crimson pedals. There was no end to them, but there was also no formation. Almost attacking at random.

"Looks like you're having fun." Said Tristan as he walked in "shall I join in?"

Jade grinned "gladly."


	12. Chapter 12

"Finally." Said Jade as the crimson pedals of blood flew away from her, melting into the wall. "I thought you would just keep throwing your pedals randomly at me."

"Oh I didn't do anything." Said Tristan "they moved on their own."

"What?" said Jade "they're sentient beings?"

"This is all the blood of my victims." Said Tristan as he raised his arms "a good portion is my blood, but the rest is that of some of the most dangerous people in the world. All thirsty for more blood."

Jade scowled "you're a true monster!" Jade slowly began to grin "and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I agree." Said Tristan as pedals of blood shot from the wall and into his open palm. He closed it as the blood morphed is into sabre. They said nothing else as Tristan lunged forward, his blade barely scraping Jade's gem as she jumped back. Jade summoned her weapon, a very large and wide spear. Capable of cleaving a lion in half, that Tristan didn't doubt. Jade jumped high in the air, Tristan stuck his right arm out. Causing the bloody pedals to knock Jade back to the ground. Jade stood up, but Tristan was already sprinting towards her. Tristan slashed at Jade, she blocked and hit Tristan in the throat with the butt of her spear. Tristan stumbled as Jade cut into his shoulder. Tristan slashed at her wildly but only managed to scrape her hand as she jumped back. Tristan's floated into the air and joined the dome of blood. Tristan forced the pedals to make a small wall between Jade and him.

"I'm not that stupid." Said Jade as she faced the only opening in the wall. But Tristan didn't appear "what?" She heard rustling behind her and turned to see the pedals behind her putting themselves back together. And a bloody Tristan running right at her. _'He ran through his own trap!'_ Thought Jade as all the blood on Tristan collected in his right palm. Tristan slashed, stabbed, and cut at Jade. Barely scratching her, but annoying her quite a bit. Jade gritted her teeth as she saw an opening in Tristan's defense. She stabbed at Tristan's eye, she was so close to finishing this all. She just had to stab him and he would be done!

Tristan felt the spear impale his right eye _'Now!'_ he thought as the blood in his right hand formed a second sabre. He lifted his right arm, cutting Jade's arm off. She just stood there in shock as Tristan stabbed Jade's gem. Impaling her chest and cutting through her entire being. Tristan stood there, his breathing getting heavier as he looked at the shattered pieces of Jade. His ruthless torturer lay dead before him. Tristan smiled as he began to touch his right eye, it was bleeding profusely and it hurt like hell. "Damn, she really got me." Said Tristan as he stopped the bleeding, the blood was sucked into his open palm. Along with the entire dome, it all entered his open wound as he closed it. The wound pulling itself together. Tristan looked to his left, the ship was gone "good." Said Tristan as he turned around, only to see Garnet with tears in her eye. "What?" he asked "never seen a dead man before?" Garnet rushed over, hugging him tightly. He would've returned the favor, but instead he passed out exhausted. The others jumped behind Garnet, seeing a bloodied and bruised Tristan in Garnet's hand.

"Oh my!" said Pearl.

"Is…" said Amethyst "is he dead?"

"No." said Garnet as she opened his right eye lid, and it was as she feared. Everyone gasped when they saw the eye. It was just a sphere of blood, that was all you could see. Just a shade of crimson, a touch of scarlet, and a lot of blood. "He's just very badly hurt." Said Garnet as she picked him up "we need to get him back home ASAP."

"Agreed." Said Pearl as they jumped in the air, and back to the temple.

"Is, he going to be ok?" Asked Steven.

"Yes." Said Pearl "I think."

"He's waking up!" said Amethyst as Tristan shot up from the couch. His breathing was heavy, and half of his vision was red! Tristan franticly looked around until he was the gems before him. "See." Said Amethyst jumping onto of him "he's fine."

"Amethyst!" scolded Pearl. As Pearl chased Amethyst as Garnet approached Tristan.

"Are, you ok?" asked Garnet. Tristan closed his right eye before turning towards him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He smirked before getting up "never felt better."

"What about your vision?" asked Garnet.

"There's nothing wrong with my vision!" snapped Tristan "I'm completely fine."

"No you're not." Said Garnet "you're badly injured and mentally unstable."

"Oh no." said Tristan walking away "you don't even get to begin to say that. I'm fine, nothing's wrong with me."

"Then do you have your right eye closed?" asked Pearl as she walked up.

"There's something in it." He said backing up.

"Then there is something wrong with you!" said Amethyst.

"No, I'm fine." Insisted Tristan as he touched the kitchen counter. He would've run right there and then but behind them Peridot came running out of the temple with Steven right on her heels. "What the fu-"

"Freedom is mine!" screamed Peridot as she slowly noticed the Crystal Gems and Tristan. "Look, over there. Another planet to betray." Everyone summoned their weapons "retreat!" Peridot ran for the door, but Pearl and Garnet were already there. She squeaked as she ran for Steven's bedroom, but Amethyst was sitting on Steven's bed.

"Hey." Said Amethyst as she pulled on her whip. Peridot screamed as she ran like a dog into the bathroom.

"You may have won the war but the battle isn't over." Said Peridot as she began to laugh manically.

"Should we tell her that's the bathroom?" said Pearl as Tristan walked over to the door.

"Eh." Said Amethyst. They heard flushing from the bathroom "if you're trying to flush yourself down the toilet it won't work. Trust me, I've tried."

"How did she get out?" asked Pearl "we bubbled her!"

"Maybe we needed a bigger bubble." Said Amethyst.

"My bubbles are fine." Said Garnet defensively.

"I did it." Said Steven.

"Steven." Said Pearl "why would you do such a thing?"

"Because she knows something!" said Steven "something that makes her scared."

"Duh, home girl knows we're going to beat her into a green pancake." Said Amethyst.

"Wait." Muttered Pearl as she looked over in the living room. Only to see that Tristan had left "oh no."

Tristan walked inside the light house, there was blood everywhere. "I think this is impossible to clean up." Said Tristan as he walked over to the top of the light house. He sat down, looking at his reflection. He touched his now red eye, it had a scar running diagonally. From the bottom left to the top right. Tristan grinned as he stood up. There was so many new things that happened in less than a few days. Tristan grabbed his weights, they felt like feathers to him now! "Damn." Said Tristan as he looked around "I'm really gonna need heavier equipment."


	13. Chapter 13

Tristan ran through the rain, it was nice. The cold drops of water running down his face and neck as he kicked up the sand. Tristan ran to the beach house, it was stormy and Tristan wanted to see Steven. He was like a little brother, kind of. Tristan knocked on the door, when there was no reply he just walking right in. "They should really get a lock." Said Tristan as he looked around, it was quiet. Tristan walked upstairs, and Steven was gone. "Odd." Tristan knocked on the temple door, once again there was nothing. Tristan walked onto the warp pad, it was something he'd never really had an interest in until recently. "How do you work?" Tristan touched it, and it glowed. "Whoa." Said Tristan "I think it wants me to get on it." Tristan stepped on the warp pad but nothing happened. Tristan tried to do, something. But he didn't know what to do. Tristan began to step off the warp pad when his gem began to glow "*argh*" it hurt! The warp pad suddenly activated and he was sent flying through the beam. Tristan face planted in what looked like an arena floating in the air! Tristan looked behind him and saw what looked like a larger version of the diamond symbol back on homeworld. "But, why is there a fourth diamond?" Tristan continued onwards, walking up the stairs and onto what looked like a fighting arena! With a couple corners falling off. In the middle of it all was Pearl! "Pearl!" shouted Tristan ran towards her, but, it wasn't her. It was like a see through version of her, but with a sword. "Pearl?"

"Do you wish to engage in combat?" asked the strange Pearl.

"What?" said Tristan slowly backing up.

"Challenge accepted." Said the strange Pearl before lunging right at him. Tristan hand cut open as his sabre appeared. Blocking her attacks, but damn were they strong.

"Has Pearl been holding out on me?" Tristan grabbed their hands and pulled them forwards. Kicking their knees before cutting its arm off and stabbing it through the gem. Strangely the Holo-Pearl just stood back up.

"Defeat accepted." Said the holo-Pearl "do you wish to engage in combat?"

"Tristan?" Said Pearl as she appeared "what are you doing here?"

"I don't know." Said Tristan "I was on the warp pad, than I was just. Here"

"Did you fight my Holo-Pearl?" asked Pearl nervous.

"This thing?" asked Tristan as the holo-Pearl lunged at him. Tristan just engulfed it in crimson pedals like it was nothing before turning back to Pearl. "Yeah, it's very aggressive."

"It's meant to be my sparring partner." Said Pearl "and what was that thing you just did now?"

Before Tristan could answer, Garnet appeared "we have a problem. Peridot and Steven are missing."

"What?" said Pearl "where are they?"

"In the kindergarden." Said Garnet "we should hurry, now!" Tristan and Pearl followed Garnet onto the warp pad where Amethyst was waiting. They warped to the kindergarden and instantly they already heard noises. "This way." Said Garnet as they ran towards what looked like Steven and Peridot being attacked by forced fusions! Tristan, by experience, knew how much she loathed them. So he took the lead this time, poofing as many as he could before they arrived. It only took less than a minute to poof them all before walking over to Steven and Peridot in a bubble. Steven made the bubble disappear before confronting them.

"Steven!" shouted Pearl "are you alright?"

"Move aside Steven." Said Peridot.

"Peridot!" said Amethyst.

"What are you too doing here?" demanded Pearl.

"Steven, I thought I told you to keep an eye on her." Said Garnet

"I know." Said Steven "but-"

"He did what he was told!" said Peridot before looking back at Steven, and then back at the Crystal Gems. "Alright, listen up you Crystal clods, eh, Crystal Gems! I've made up my mind. I have something to tell you about the cluster."

"She cracked!" said Amethyst.

"Oh Amethyst!" scolded Pearl "stop it!"

"What can you tell us?" asked Garnet .

"I will tell you back at your base." Said Peridot "but first, I'll need some time to made a presentation."

"Presentation?" asked Tristan "what is this? A second graders class project? Do you want me to pass the glue?"

"Don't you dare mock me!" said Peridot "and what is a second grader?"

"Let's get back on topic." Said Garnet as she lead them all back to the warp pad "we'll give you the materials for your, presentation. But you must tell us what this threat is soon."

"I will." Said Peridot "I will, just give me the necessary time."

"Perfect." Said Tristan "some alone time."

"Not exactly." Said Garnet. Tristan groaned.

"So you're telling me that there's a fountain that can cure my blindness and bring my eye back to normal." Said Tristan "and you _didn't_ take me there immediately?"

"Basically, yes." Said Pearl.

"We were too caught up in Peridot's escape that we forgot." Said Garnet as she walked through the thorn bush ridden area and pointed to the fountain. "Jump in." Tristan didn't ask any questions, he just obliged. Getting his clothes wet as he splashed to the surface. Tristan opened his eyes, and he could see! Tristan grabbed the side of the fountain to get out, but there was something wrong! His scars, the ones all over his arms, legs, chest, back, etc. They were all gone! Tristan touched his eye and didn't feel the scar.

"Is something wrong?" asked Pearl.

"Why didn't you tell me." Growled Tristan.

"Uh?" asked Pearl.

"Why didn't you tell me that it would take away my scars?" asked Tristan.

"It healed you." Said Pearl "Isn't that what you wanted."

"I wanted it to heal my eye." Said Tristan as he jumped out "not take away a part of me!"

"We don't have time for this." Said Garnet as she began to walk away "we can talk about this later."

"No we won't." Muttered Tristan as scowled all the way back to the house "you never have, never will!"

"This, is the earth." Said Peridot as she slapped the box with the earth and cluster painted on it. "At the very center of the planets core lies, the cluster. Rotate." Steven moved the box "this, is the cluster. A massive artificial fusion composed of millions of gem shards!" Everyone looked around nervously "it has lain dormant for thousands of years within this plants crusts. When it's gem activates, and takes its form. The result will be catastrophic. Now!" Steven began moving around until a sock puppet ripped through the cardboard box. Making everyone but Tristan gasp. "What is that?" screamed Peridot.

"It's the cluster." Said Steven.

"It does not, look like that." Said Peridot face palming "but it is real. And it could activate at any moment!"

"What a cluster." Said Amethyst.

"That abomination must be stopped!" Said Garnet.

"But how?" asked Pearl "We'll need to build some sort of machine to take us to the center of the earth. It'll have to-"

"Hey!" said Peridot as she cut off Pearl "I wasn't finished speaking! What we need, is some sort of machine to take us to the center of the earth! It'll need to be able to withstand three hundred and sixty gigapascals of pressure and temperatures of 9800 degrees."

"Well we mustn't waste time" said Pearl "we need to start finding part to this machine immediately."

"Yes. Obviously." Said Peridot "We'll start by dismantling all devices in this dwelling."

"Wha?" said Steven.

"Yeah no." said Tristan as Peridot began taking apart the house "this is a horrible idea."

Steven ran over towards Peridot to stop her. "Wait! I have a better idea that doesn't involve destroying the house."

Amethyst chuckled "classic Steven.

"Wow." Said Tristan as he looked around the place "this place is amazing!" Tristan ran inside, like a little kid exploring his play house. "This is so much like my uncles barn! Rusty tools, awesome machinery, and really old guns! "Oh I'm so keeping this badass." Said Tristan as he picked up an old shotgun. "Single fire, but powerful."

"Tristan." Said Amethyst "you might want to come over here. You're gonna enjoy this." Tristan walked over to Pearl and Peridot bickering as they built there, robots?

"What the hell is going on?" asked Tristan as he threw the gun in the barn and walked out. "Because last I checked, we were trying to stop the cluster."

"Pearl and Peridot are gonna fight using giant robots!" shouted Steven as he ran around in excitement.

"But, why?" asked Tristan. "This isn't like Pearl!"

"Oh trust me." Said Garnet grinning as she put a hand on his shoulder "when she's challenged like this. She's never herself."

"It's a tie!" shouted Steven, it was sundown and Tristan was ready to just go home already. He didn't need sleep anymore, but damn did it feel good. Also, Tristan was getting very fucking tired of leaving the barn to grab food for him and Steven, and only come back to more bickering. "Welp, that settles it. You both get to lead the project together!"

"Oh boy." Muttered Tristan as he saw Peridot's face bubble with rage "this is not gonna end well."

"No! This isn't over! I demand we have a tiebreaker!" Shouted Peridot.

"Ugh." Groaned Pearl "let's just give it a rest! That's it, we tied, we're the same, let's move on."

Pearl began to leave, but Peridot grabbed Pearl roughly. "No! You're a Pearl! You are beneath me! I'll always be better than you and nothing I've seen today will ever change that!"

"Oh shit." Said Tristan as he stood up from his spot on the ground "now this is getting interesting."

"Well." Said Pearl "have you ever seen a Pearl, do, this!" Pearl kicked Peridot's robot to the ground.

"So you want to fight?! Peridot snapped Pearls robot claw off. "Good, we should've done this from the beginning!"

"STOP!" shouted Steven "Giant robots shouldn't fight!"

"Um. I think Amethyst disagrees strongly." Said Tristan as she began chanting.

"Fight. Fight. Fight. Fight." Chanted Amethyst. The robots began to fight.

"I'll give them this." Said Tristan as he sat back down "it's impressive. But extremely boring and cliché."

"How?" asked Amethyst.

"Just watch." Said Tristan as Pearl jumped in the air and kicked down from the sky. Peridot however grabbed Pearls robot leg and smashed her into the ground.

"Pearl!" said everyone.

"Actually, I wasn't expecting Pearl to lose." Said Tristan as he stood up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Peridot.

"Nothing." Said Tristan grinning

"Yeah, P!" shouted Amethyst "Aww, that was awesome. You were hardcore!"

"Oh…" said Pearl as she rubbed her arm "really?"

Garnet placed her hand on Pearl shoulder "Oh yeah."

"Hey!" shouted Peridot as she attempted to explain to everyone that she was the better gem. That she'd won. Everyone walked away, ignoring her as they began to clean up "b-b-but I won! What about the rules?"

Garnet and Tristan glance at each other before grinning and shrugging. "Welcome to Earth."

"Tristan!" said Garnet "put the gun down."

"But why" asked Tristan as he began grabbing more of the shells he'd found for the shotgun "this thing is and old working shotgun, and it's a Harrington and Richardson 20 gage! That makes this thing even better."

"I don't care." Said Garnet "we should get rid of it. Steven could hurt himself."

"Which is exactly why I'll be taking this back home." Said Tristan as he began walking out of the barn. Garnet shook his head.

"It's not even yours." Said Garnet smiling.

 **For those wondering, yes I will be following the story's canon. I'll just need Tristan to skip out on some other episodes so that he can solve his own problems. And no, beryl didn't have the ability to control blood. I'll explain what her real ability was in a later chapter and how Tristan effected how it changed.**

 **If you want you can try to tell me what you think her real ability was and how Tristan changed it in the review box. If I like it enough I might make that the reason.**


	14. Chapter 14

Tristan placed the gun back with the others as he hung it back up on the wall. Since he didn't need to sleep, he used the basement as a place to store his weapons and that Harrington and Richardson 20 gage shotgun was the newest. He preferred smaller weapons like pistols or those with shorter range like a shotgun. So if fit right on the wall. "Tristan, it's time." Said Garnet.

"Alright, I'm coming." Said Tristan as he begrudgingly walked up the steps and jumped down to the warp pad along with Garnet and began warping to the barn.

"You know if I catch Steven with any of those in his hand you're dead right?" said Garnet.

Tristan grinned like a wolf "I'd like to see you try." Garnet looked right at him like he was insane.

"Don't get me wrong, you're good." Said Garnet "but you're never gonna be that good."

"I'd like to disagree." Said Tristan. Before Garnet could say anything else, they were at the barn. Garnet and Tristan said nothing as they walked up to everyone else.

"Hey guys." Said Steven with excitement.

"Hey Steven." Said Garnet with a smile.

"Hey." Said Tristan.

"Oh good you're both here." Said Pearl "oh, and you're finally wearing something that's fit for work Tristan!" Tristan looked down at his simple white T-shirt, ratty pants, and wore down shoes.

"I didn't have a choice." Said Tristan "I ripped up my only pair of clothes like a dumbass when fighting Jade."

"What did she do to you?" asked Amethyst.

"It wasn't her." Said Tristan "I accidentally tore all my clothes when I used my blood pedals for the first time." Tristan looked down with a sad look in his eyes "including my jacket."

"Oh." Said Amethyst.

"Alright." Said Garnet as she suddenly reappeared with some tall grass in her mouth "I've chased those cows away, let's get to work."

"Before we began." Said Peridot as she turned towards Garnet "would you mind un-fusing. It's making me _incredibly_ uncomfortable." Everyone held their breath, as Tristan chuckled and Peridot remained oblivious.

"What'd I say?" screams Peridot as she struggles against her child's leash on the fence post.

"Did we really have to do that?" asked Steven.

"Her having free reign of the place made _me_ incredibly uncomfortable." Said Garnet.

"Also this is so much more interesting." Said Tristan as he watched Peridot struggle trying to reach the microwave. Garnet hit Tristan in the shoulder "ok! Ok! I'm going." Said Tristan as he jogged over to the Pearl to ask her what she needed him to do. "What the hell is tungsten?" muttered Tristan as he grabbed random metals from the barn. "That's like asking her to find the difference between a monster is and my old bosses. You can't find one!" Tristan walked out and dumped the pile of metal by Pearl "I have no idea what tungsten is to be honest." Said Tristan as Pearl looked through the pile.

"Well you got some." Said Pearl "but it's only scarps. Do you think you could find more?"

"I'll just grab every metal I can find." Said Tristan as he walked back into the barn. Tristan came out with what h promised. Every. Single. Metal. In the barn.

"Oh this will take forever to look for." Said Pearl as she began rummaging through the humongous pile before her "why don't you finish drilling where I've marked."

"Aye, aye captain." Muttered Tristan as he kneeled down and began to drill the hundreds of holes there. The sun was finally setting and Pearl had gathered all the tungsten she needed. "I'll be right back." Said Pearl "I need to grab Garnet for a second."

"Alright." Said Tristan as he sat down in the dry dirt. Tristan heard a loud commotion, along with plenty of shouting. Tristan walked over to see Peridot shove Amethyst out of the way of the drill heading right towards him! Tristan grabbed the drill with his bare hands! He screamed in pain as the drill cut his hand to the bone. His blood smeared across the entire drill as Steven stopped the drill. Causing it to stop and fall over.

"It's okay, everything's okay." Said Steven as he tried and failed to stand up "it's just a drill!" Steven chuckles as he passes out on the side of the drill.

"Dude, bad joke." Said Tristan as he looks over at Pearl and Garnet rushing over.

"We leave for one second and everything goes off the rails!" says Pearl hysterical.

"I blame the cows." Said Garnet as she glances over at Tristan hiding his hands behind his back.

"No, it's fine, it's fine." Said Pearl "we'll rebuild it! Stronger, better. We'll add seat-belts!"

"Tristan, are you alright?" asks Garnet as she walks over.

"It's just a scratch." Said Tristan "I'll just patch it up at home."

"Show me your wounds." Said Garnet.

"No thanks." Said Tristan as he walked off to the warp pad. "I'll be back tomorrow!" He warped out before she could protest.

"He's not ok is he?" asked Pearl as she walked up to Garnet.

"*Tsk*" said Garnet as she turned around "he's foolish."

"I know you're in there!" said Garnet as she pounded on the door. Tristan just ignored her as he continued to work out. Letting the blood seep through his rough bandages and make them wet. Garnet forced the door open and walked up to him. "Show me your hands right now."

"Their fine." Said Tristan as he continued to stare out the window and lift weights. Garnet shoved Tristan against the wall. "Be careful." Said Tristan as he drop the weight with a smirk "you might hurt me." Garnet grabbed his hand and looked at how much he was bleeding. She removed the bandage and looked in horror as the drill had not only cut through flesh. But to the bone.

"Why didn't you tell us." Said Garnet "we can heal all your injuries. So why hide them?"

"If I can handle the pain." Said Tristan as he re wrapped his hand "I can deal with everything else." Garnet punched at him. Tristan caught her punch, but it clearly caused him pain. He refused to look away as he stared right at her. His teeth clenched and muscles tense.

"You're not a god!" Shouted Garnet "you can try to block out your feelings. Try to image you don't feel pain. But you can't change who you are. Don't think I haven't noticed how you are around the others now that you're a fully-fledged half gem. You've been distant ever since you shattered Jade. Why?"

"I'm not hiding anything." Screamed Tristan "I'm just being the monster I am!"

Garnet slapped him "wake up. You're not killing for a living! You're not a contractor anymore! You're a Crystal Gem! And we need you at your best in case we fail, and you're all that's left." Tristan said nothing. His scowl not changing, just tears streaming down his face. "Be there for Steven."

"You didn't meet her!" shouted Tristan "you never got to see how beautiful Beryl was. You never got to hear how scared she was when she switched our roles. You never saw those bloody tears running down her face, how soft her lips were! You didn't know anything!" Tristan broke down "I can't be anyone but who I grew up as, why can't _you_ understand?"

"Tristan." Said Garnet "I, I didn't know."

Tristan laughed bitterly "nobody knows."

 **Thank you for all the feedback you've given me. It helps me improve the story and make it more enjoyable for you. Thank you for telling me to not make Tristan so overpowered. I try not to make him that way but it's very difficult to try and put all my thoughts on paper. Thank you.**


	15. Chapter 15

"Happy birthday man!" said Tristan as he set down his present.

"Thanks Tristan!" said Steven "but are you guys sure that it's ok that we're taking a break from the drill?"

"Oh, it's fine." Said Pearl "Peridot will keep us on schedule."

"Yo, Peri! You sure you don't want to get in on this?" asked Amethyst as she blows up a balloon looking like Peridot up, popping it. Peridot just flipped her goggles on before walking to the back of the barn.

"We should be celebrating all of our progresses. We should be celebrating _your_ progress." Said Garnet "You've grown a lot this year."

"He certainly has!" said Pearl, as she says that Greg's van pulls up. He honks the horn before getting out with Connie, and a suitcase.

"Steven!" shouted Connie.

"Connie!" shouted Steven before hugging each other.

"Happy birthday!" said Connie.

"You sure he'll like it?" asked Tristan.

"He'll like anything you give him." Said Amethyst "once Garnet gave him a rock, and he went crazy over it."

"Oh, well. That's great!" said Tristan as he sipped on the fruit punch "don't have to worry a bit."

"Oh I wouldn't say that!" said Garnet.

"God dammit!" said Tristan chuckling "what's he gonna do? Choke on them?" Garnet just stared at him "is it really that possible?" Garnet just nodded. Tristan sighed "it's fine. He can just use that fountain."

"No need." Said Pearl "he has healing spit!"

"Eh!" said Tristan "now that's just gross!"

"I know right!" said Amethyst chuckling "but it's like. Cool at the same time." Before Tristan could say otherwise he heard Connie scream.

"You're fourteen!"

"Yeah?" said Steven.

"Why's she freaking out?" asked Tristan as he walked over.

"You're older than me? I- I don't believe it!" Said Connie.

"Well sure, check it out." Said Greg as he pulled out a picture book of Steven. "Whoa, it looks like you stagnated there buddy."

"Mr. Universe." Said Connie "could I show you how the deliberator works?"

"Oh, uh, sure!" Said Greg "I'll be right back, kiddo."

"It's ok man." Said Tristan as Steven looked down at the ground "It just something Gem related. But I don't know why you're shorter. My gem made me much taller."

"Really?" asked Steven.

"Yeah." Said Tristan "I was 5'9, but now I'm 6'3! I'm sure you need to just give it time."

"Yeah." Said Steven as he began walking towards his dads van "yeah! Maybe I just need some time!"

"Okay Steven." Said Greg as he knocked on the barn doors "you can come out now!" They all waited, but Steven didn't come out.

"Is he ok?" whisper Tristan. But before anyone could say anything, Steven walked out.

"Wow!" Said Garnet.

"Oh my." Said Pearl.

"Huh?" said Greg confused. Steven stumbled towards them. It was odd, like he wasn't quite used to it.

"Steven…" said Pearl "are you feeling okay?"

"You look good Steven." Said Garnet.

"Oh." Said Steven chuckling "thanks, Garnet."

"Dude," said Amethyst "your neck!"

"Oh, uh," said Steven "what about it?"

"You have one!" said Amethyst chuckling.

"So, you just grew…" said Connie.

"Just like, right now?" said Tristan "like right as we closed those doors."

"I had a magical growth spurt." Said Steven "just now. Cool, right?"

"Oh, right!" said Connie "It's totally cool!"

"Alright then, let's get this party started." Said Garnet as she blowed out the candles.

"Yeah, let's eat this cookie cat cake!" said Greg

"I'll just wait a bit." Said Tristan as he took another bite of the cookie cat cake.

"Are you sure?" asked Pearl "he's just talking to Connie. You can give him your present right now."

Tristan glanced over at the two blushing kids "no. I'll let them have their special little time. Besides, I would hate it if someone tried to barge in on my date."

"Date?" said Pearl.

"Their funky flow." Said Garnet.

"That's a weird way of saying it." Said Tristan "but yeah, don't mess with their funky flow."

"Oh." Said Pearl.

"So why did we sneak away from them while they played badminton?" asked Tristan as Garnet sat with him as the back of the barn. "Because badminton sounds like a fun game."

"Have you even played it before?" asked Garnet.

"Of course not." Said Tristan.

"Then you're not missing out on much." Said Garnet "but we did come over here for a reason. It's about Steven." Tristan frowned.

"It's about his sudden growth, isn't it?" asked Tristan. Garnet nodded "I did think it was pretty odd how we closed the door, and then he just. Grew!"

"I agree." Said Garnet "but there's a possibility that he really did go through a growth spurt."

"I'm still not convinced." Said Tristan.

"Same." Said Garnet as she moved her glasses around "but we can only wait and see."

Everyone was dancing, except for Tristan and Greg. "Not much of a dancer, eh?" said Greg as he walked up to Tristan with a cup of punch.

"Dancing's more of a private thing for me." Said Tristan.

"Oh, that'll be a problem than." Said Greg.

"How so?" asked Tristan.

"You won't be able to fuse!" said Greg.

Tristan grimaced "maybe I don't want to fuse."

"But why not?" asked Greg "it's like, the ultimate bond. What everyone wants to have in a relationship."

"Is that how it worked for you and Rose?" asked Tristan "or did you do it the old fashion way?" Greg blushed.

"Well, no." said Greg rubbing the back of his neck "but you're half gem. If Steven can do it. Than you can too."

Tristan took a deep breath "thanks. But no thanks, I don't ever want to fuse." Before Greg could ask, Garnet got on the mic.

"This one goes out to the birthday boy." Said Garnet "and his best friend." Tristan looked over at the two giggling kids. Talking to each other, slow dancing. It was very weird to imagine Steven doing this, yet here he was. Getting every girl.

Tristan grinned "lucky man."

"Aww…" said Pearl "Stevens having fun!"

"We know how to throw a good party." Said Garnet.

"Now if only they had some romantic lighting." Said Tristan, Garnet bonked him on the head. Tristan chuckled "okay, okay I'll leave those two love birds alone." Tristan walked over to the back of the barn.

"Yo." Said Amethyst as she tried to swing at the piñata that Greg was holding.

"Yo, what's up?" asked Tristan.

"Amethyst is trying to get the candy in this piñata" Said Greg.

"But he blind folded me!" said Amethyst "it's not fair."

"I already told you." Said Greg "you're supposed to be blind folded."

Tristan chuckled, this was the most fun he'd seen everybody have ever since his arrival. It was all so peaceful without anybody trying to kill them. They all looked over surprised when Steven ran around the side and shrunk!

"Ohhh geez." Said Steven back as his normal self "If I can just keep this up for the rest of my life. Than no one will suspect a thi-" Steven finally noticed them all standing there. Greg and Amethyst's eyes widen as Greg drops the piñata.

"I knew it was too good to be true." Said Tristan.

"What are you doing?" asked Amethyst.

"Well, uh…"Steven's whole body glows as he gets taller "what are you doing?"

"What are you doing to your body?" asked Greg

Whoa, whoa, whoa, have you been stretching yourself out all day?" asked Amethyst.

"No!" said Steven "I was just, slouching!"

"Dude!" said Tristan "that's not even a good excuse."

"Why are you doing this?" asked Greg "this really isn't like you."

"Because dad, I can't stay a kid forever!" said Steven "when Connie grows up and becomes president what is it gonna make me? First boy?"

"Steven, you can't just keep stretching forever." Said Amethyst "if you hold it for too long, you can really hurt yourself."

"Yeah well, I'm half human." Said Steven "so maybe it works different for me. We'll just have to wait and see, right?

"Really?" said Tristan "that's your excuse?"

Greg sighed "Steven…" Steven walked away from them, and back to Connie.

"Dude." Said Amethyst "this is not going to end well."

"Don't have tell me twice." Said Tristan walking away.

"He turned back into a baby!" screamed Pearl.

"Oh come on!" said Tristan "I called it!"

Amethyst walked up to baby Steven, grabbing him. "Dude, I told you. Stretching yourself for that long is _not_ good for you." Steven just made sounds as he flailed his limbs. "Here you go Pearl." Amethyst attempted to hand Steven over to Pearl.

"Oh no, no, don't give him to me!" said Pearl.

"Hand him over Amethyst." Said Garnet. Tristan looked in shock as Garnet revealed he three eyes. Opening them up one at a time, than sticking her tongue out at him. Steven just cried even more. Garnet sighed "our power means nothing to an infant."

"Okay, this is my department." said Greg as grabbed Steven.

"What are you gonna do?" asked Connie.

"Oh don't worry." Said Greg "I've got this."

"What's he gonna do?" asked Tristan as he saw Greg, Connie, Steven and Amethyst leave.

"He's gonna fix this." Said Garnet.

"Maybe, but I doubt it." Said Tristan "all we can do it hope."

Everyone walked over to Steven, who was back to normal, and saw what he was screaming about. "Holy smokes! You're growing a beard!" Greg picked Steven up "everyone, look at this!"

"Unbelievable." Said Pearl.

"Very impressive." Said Garnet.

"Is there more where that came from?" asked Amethyst.

"You can use my razor." Said Tristan as he rubs his chin "I won't need it for a while."

"Or," said Greg "you could use mine."

"Do you even have one?" asked Tristan.

"Oh course I do." Said Greg.

"Really?" asked Tristan "cause it looks like you don't even use it." Everyone laughed as they began walking away.

"Let's get some breakfast." said Steven.

"Yeah." said Tristan "I'm famished.


	16. Chapter 16

Tristan sat on the hill away from the gems. He loved them all, but he needed alone time too and living at the barn for the past few weeks didn't give him much of that. Tristan sighed as he heard Steven singing. "Damn that's catchy." Said Tristan he closed his eyes. The sunset resting upon his face as he listened to the gems join Steven and Peridot in the song. Tristan grinned as he heard them all have fun, "Guess I should give them some privacy and grab a couple branches." Tristan walked off to the woods to grab some sticks for the bonfire. It was supposed to be a special occasion, for completing the drill. Tristan started grabbing branches as at random. From big to large, it worked. "I know what'll make this faster." Tristan summoned his sabre, something he hadn't done in quite a while, and began cutting trees into large logs.

"Much better." Said Tristan as he placed the large logs in quite a big pile

"Yo, what's good T." said Amethyst as she walked over

"I see you've got the bonfire handled with." Said Pearl

"Yeah." Said Tristan

"Now we need hotdogs!" screamed Steven in excitement

Garnet chuckled "yes, that's something we do need."

"Hey where's Peridot?" asked Tristan

"Oh she's preparing a surprise!" said Steven waving his arms around like a goofball

"She's-" said Garnet

"It's a surprise!" screamed Steven, interrupting Garnet "no future vision!"

"Wait what?" said Tristan

"Oh, I don't think he knows." Said Pearl

"Know what?" asked Tristan, suspicious as to what was going on

"Garnet has future vision." Said Amethyst

"Now I know this is bullshit." Said Tristan.

"Language." Said Garnet, beating Pearl to the punch "and no. I do indeed have future vision."

"So all those time's you warned me…" said Tristan

"I was actually preventing you from breaking your legs." Said Garnet.

"But I was gonna…" said Tristan

"Oh trust me." Said Garnet "there was a very slim possibility that you would've actually landed it. I saw one thousand ways you could've died, and one way you could've landed."

"Oh." Said Tristan.

"*Ahem.*" said Steven "so, hotdogs?"

"Oh, I'll get them." Said Tristan, he was sick of the barn and wanted to go back home. Tristan ran to the warp pad and teleported to the beach house before anyone could protest.

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while." Said Sadie "what's up?"

"Oh, I've been out of town for a bit." Said Tristan "can I please have like, twenty chocolate doughnuts. I've missed these guys."

"That's a lot." Said Sadie "but ok." Tristan paid for the doughnuts and ran into the Fish Stews Pizza.

"Hey Tristan." Said Jenny

"Hey Jenny." Said Tristan "I'm kind of in a hurry so could I please just get a pizza. We'll chat all you want later."

"Ok." Said Jenny writing the order down "I better be the first person you talk to when you get back."

"Oh I will." Said Tristan.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" muttered Tristan as he ran into the beach house with bags of hot dogs, and soda's. Tristan warped to the barn and ran over to them, it was dark outside, that was bad. Tristan saw the fire lit and ran over to them. "Sorry it took so long." Said Tristan "I just, um, talked with someone for a bit."

"A bit?" said Pearl "it's almost ten!

"I know, I know." Said Tristan "but, the lines were really long."

"Seriously?" said Amethyst

"You know that…" began Garnet

"I'm lazy, late, drunk womanizer." Interrupted Tristan "I know, but hey. I got the hotdog's and some soda."

"You missed Peridot's song." Said Garnet

"Her what?" said Tristan

"My surprise." Said Peridot popping out from the barn "you missed my surprise."

"Oh." Said Tristan "w-was it a good surprise?"

"Tristan!" scolded Pearl

"You missed out." Said Steven "it was amazing."

"Oh, that sucks." Said Tristan "I'm really sorry that I missed your song. I wish I could've heard it."

"It's ok." Said Peridot as she began walking away "it was just a song I made in a day. Nothing special."

Everyone was silent as Tristan just stood there with grocery bags still in hand "am I supposed to feel really bad for this?"

"Yes." Said Garnet

"Oh." Said Tristan as he threw the bags on the ground by the fire, and walked back to the warp pad. "If you need me I'll be back home." No one said anything as Tristan left. Leaving everyone in silence.

Tristan walked into the light house, it was dark. Just how he liked it. He walked over to the fridge and opened it up. He stared for a minute before grabbing the whiskey bottle and pouring glass. He left it on the counter and sat on the couch. "I was wondering when you'd show up Keith." Said Tristan as Keith walked out of the shadows.

"How'd you know I was here?" asked Keith as he took a sip from the glass of whiskey "I thought I was hidden perfectly."

"You were alright." Said Tristan "but I don't drink anymore. That bottle you put in the fridge gave you away."

"And here you thought you were still an alcoholic." Said Keith putting the now empty glass down "what changed?"

"I can't get drunk anymore." Said Tristan as he flexed his hand "now why are you here? You show up at that diner and now here. I want answers or else I'll pull your throat out with my own hands."

"No pleasantries?" said Keith "you've truly changed."

"Shut the fuck up right now." Said Tristan as the crimson petals emerged from his hand "you've got a minute until I turn you inside out. So I better hear what I want."

"Jesus." Said Keith as he pulled his gun up "what happened to you?"

"Fifty seconds left." Said Tristan as the petals began to form a sabre in his hand.

"I don't understand!" said Keith, panicking "tell me! What's happened in the past year?"

"Thirty seconds." Said Tristan as he stood up. The sabre fully formed.

"They want you back!" said Keith "they know you're back, and they aren't afraid!"

"That's not good." Said Tristan as he walked up to Keith "maybe I'll send them a message. Carve it onto your dead body, put it on their beds."

"That's not why I'm here!" said Keith "I'm here to help you!"

"The gems could kill every single one of them within the hour." Said Tristan with his sabre up against Keith's ribs "and I could do it much faster. So tell me why I shouldn't send that lovely message?"

"You're my friend, I'm just wanted you safe!" said Keith.

"Bullshit!" said Tristan "you want out, and I'm your best option. That's how you were back then, that's how you are now!"

"It was never that way." Said Keith "your mind's just fucked up!"

"That's how I like it." Said Tristan as he shoved Keith out the door "and let's keep it that way. So get the fuck out, or else your balls will be shoved down every executives throat within the hour."

Keith took a deep breath "no. I'm staying and I'm helping."

"Not possible." Said Tristan "now get back to your bar."

"You don't understand." Said Keith "when I said they knew you were back. I meant _everyone_ knows you're back. Even the executives play things."

"And?" said Tristan, his red eyes piercing Keith. His white hair flowing the wind.

"Are you shitting me?" said Keith "you use to shit yourself over them. Now you're just, ok with them?"

"I'm not ok with them." Said Tristan, wondering if Keith was telling the truth "I'm just not afraid of them. They can't do anything to a quartz soldier."

"Quartz soldier?" asked Keith "how fucked up were they to you?"

"Worse than, _him_." Said Tristan "far worse than him."

"Damn." Said Keith "I didn't think anyone could be worse than Marcus."

"Yeah." Said Tristan, they just stood there in silence, until one of them made a move.

Tristan walked to the barn, it was quiet. He like didn't like that. Tristan looked around but no one was there. It was like they just disappeared. Tristan sighed as he began walking to the warp pad, but he heard a noise. Not a noise a roar! "Lion?" said Tristan as he ran back to the barn. He saw them all get off lion and walked off in separate directions. "Hey, Steven!" said Tristan as he ran up to the kid "what happened?"

"We went to the moon." Said Steven sadly.

"That sounds like fun!" said Tristan "so why the hell are you so sad?"

"It's Peridot." Said Steven.

"Do I need to rough her up?" asked Tristan.

"No! No! No!" said Steven "it's just about what she said."

"What'd she say?" asked Tristan, his eyebrow raised.

"She complained that we stopped the earth from becoming a perfect colony." Said Steven "and she, um, insulted my mom." It took Tristan a second to remember who his mom was.

"Oh…" said Tristan as he summoned his sabre "that's an asshole move to make." Tristan began walking towards the barn, where he saw Peridot enter.

"No! You don't have to do anything!" said Steven following him "it's fine. Really! It was just the others that got mad."

"Still don't care." Said Tristan "I'm gonna carve her a new face."

"No!" Said Steven as Tristan approached Peridot in her little truck.

"Oh, it's just you." Said Peridot "what do you want?" She looked down as Tristan's sabre and the look on his face. Peridot squeaked in fear as Tristan raised his sabre, she closed her eyes. But she never poofed. She looked up to see Tristan stuck in Steven's bubble, and Steven in the truck with her.

"Steven?" asked Peridot "why are you in this broken-down vehicle with me? And why is Tristan trying to shatter me?"

"He got mad that you insulted my mom." Said Steven

"You're damn right I am!" shouted Tristan as he continued to try and pop the bubble "and you can bet your asses that I'm gonna laugh while I shatter your gem!" Steven pushed Tristan away "no, stop! I'm gonna throw up! I'll be back!" Tristan rolled away from them all, out the barn and down the hill. "Shit." Screamed Tristan as the bubble popped and he hit his head on a rock.

Tristan woke up with his blood all over the place, and puke in the back of his throat. Tristan's blood dripped down to his palm and a cut appeared. Sucking up all the blood before closing, and almost like it had never happened. "Damn it!" said Tristan as he walked up the hill "the suns not down yet, and it doesn't looked like I've been out for long." Tristan heard loud crashing from the barn. Tristan sprinted over, fearing the drill had been destroyed. "What the?"

"Get in!" said Amethyst as a helicopter. Tristan didn't say a word as he got in with the others, except for one gem.

"Where's Peridot?" asked Tristan.

"She's trying to contact the diamonds!" said Garnet

"What!" said Tristan "Steven, you should've let me shatter her earlier."

"You tried to shatter her!?" shouted Pearl.

"Hey." Said Amethyst "I wouldn't complain." Peridot turned around in her big robot that she built awhile back. "What's up, Perisnot?"

"Good one Amethyst!" said Steven as Pearl and Garnet both summoned their weapons. Peridot gasped as Garnet launched her gauntlets at Peridot. Causing her to trip and crash into an electrical wire. Peridot got up and looked over at the communicator. She smiled as she reached for it, but Pearl threw her spear. Knocking it away.

"Dog pile!" Screamed Amethyst as all the gems piled onto her. Tristan summoned the petals, and shot them into the pile. But Peridot was already out and running away from the pile.

"Shit!" screamed Tristan as he forced the petals back into his palm before they hit the gems.

"Next time, be more careful." Said Garnet.

"Dully noted." Said Tristan as he looked over at Steven, everyone gasped. The gems grabbed Steven and hide behind the bot. Tristan got there just in time as a large projection appeared of a yellow like Pearl.

"This is the Yellow Diamond control room." Said Yellow Pearl.

"Who is she?" asked Steven.

"Ugh," said Pearl "not all Pearls know each other Steven." Tristan opened his mouth to ask if she knew Blue Pearl, but Garnet shushed them before he could.

"Is that…" asked Amethyst.

"Yellow…" said Pearl

"Diamond!" said Garnet

"My diamond, Peridot reporting in." said Peridot.

" _Which_ Peridot." Said Yellow Diamond

"Facet-2-F-5-L, cut-5-X-G." said Peridot "I'm sorry to contact you this way, but all other ways of communication have been destroyed and-"

"This says you're behind schedule on your mission to..." Interrupted Yellow Diamond "How is…This Earth?"

"It's… Full of organic life." Said Peridot

"Organic life." Said Yellow Diamond "and where is the Jasper I assigned you? And why aren't you calling from the ship?"

"The ship was destroyed." Said Peridot

"By whom?" asked Yellow Diamond

"It was destroyed by…" Peridot glanced over at Steven and his begging eyes, and Tristan with his red eyes threating her. "No one! There was… An accident…While we were…landing?"

"I'll inform your manager of your incompetence." Said Yellow Diamond "What is the status of the cluster?"

"The cluster…will emerge shortly." Said Peridot

"Good." Said Yellow Diamond "We'll finally get some use out of that miserable planet. Thank you for your report, Peridot. There'll be a ship heading to your location to take you to your next assignment."

"Wait!" said Peridot "I wouldn't have called you to waste your time with a report."

"You already have." Said Yellow Diamond

"No, I mean." Said Peridot "the reason I called you…the real reason is…I believe that we should terminate the Cluster."

"…Why?" asked Yellow Diamond

"Is she trying to save us?" asked Tristan

"I think so." Said Amethyst

"Not now!" said Garnet

"Guys." Said Steven "something's happening."

"I want my Cluster, and I want that planet to _die_." Said Yellow Diamond "Just make that happen."

"No!" said Peridot, Yellow Pearl gasped.

"Are you questioning my authority?" asked Yellow Diamond, becoming more and more angry.

"I'm…questioning your objectivity! My diamond." Said Peridot.

"Well!" said Yellow Pearl, offended

"You're out of line!" said Yellow Diamond

"I just think-" said Peridot

"I'm not interested in the puny thoughts of a Peridot!" said Yellow Diamond

"But!" said Peridot

"You have disrespected this channel and my time with your presence." Said Yellow Diamond "and you would do well to-"

"But-" Began Peridot

"Shut your mouth!" Shouted Yellow Diamond

"Oh damn." Said Tristan "she's fucked."

"Be quiet." Said Garnet

"And watch your language!" Said Pearl

"I won't do it!" shouted Peridot "I can tell you with certainty that there are things on this planet worth protecting!"

"What do you know about the earth?" asked Yellow Diamond

"Apparently more than you!" screamed Peridot "You! Clod!" Yellow Diamond glared at Peridot that almost made Tristan's stare look laughable. But at the same time, her face made it much easier to laugh at as well. "Uuh." Said Peridot "Peridot, out!"

Peridot cut the transmission as everyone ran over to her. Hugging her and congratulating her. "That was amazing!" said Steven

"Much better than my first words to her." Said Tristan

"I can't believe I just did that." Said Peridot

"I was so wrong about being so wrong about you!" said Steven

"I can't believe that I just did that…" said Peridot absent mindlessly

"You thought you could change he mind." Said Garnet

"Yellow D just got torn down by the Peri-dactyl" said Amethyst

"Can one of you take this?" asked Peridot sighing.

"Why?" asked Pearl and Tristan

"Because it can be remotely detonated." Said Peridot as the communicator began beeping.

"How do we stop it?" asked Pearl

"Just get rid of it!" said Garnet

"Here, Amethyst!" said Pearl tossing it at Amethyst

"What am I supposed to do with this!" shouted Amethyst as she passes it to Steven who bubbles it as Garnet punches it into the sky. It exploded with a loud ear piercing ringing noise.

"I thought I could reason with her." Said Peridot

"Yeah, you made her really mad." Said Amethyst

"Then you insulted her to her face!" said Pearl

"Do you know what this means?" asked Steven all excited

"That I'm a traitor to my home world?" asked Peridot

"You're a crystal gem!" screamed Steven as he began hugging her.

"Whether you like it or not." Said Garnet

"Oh." Said Tristan "and, uh, sorry about trying to shatter you earlier." Peridot just groaned loudly as everyone chuckled. The sun setting with a horrible disaster diverted.

"You seem to be having fun." Said Keith as Tristan walked inside the house "out at a bar?"

"You wish." Said Tristan as he brought up multiple bags of guns from the basement "now, who exactly did you say wanted me dead?"

"Everyone." Said Keith with a grin.

Tristan sighed "this is gonna be one long ass weekend."


	17. Chapter 17

"You'll never find out where they are!" said with a bloody face. His teeth missing and his bones very out of place.

"Oh really?" said Tristan getting back up "because your eyes keep darting over to that dead body over there." The man gasped "Keith, check that man's pockets."

Keith shuffled through the man's pockets before taking out a piece of paper and a phone. "It's locked!"

Tristan turned to the man "do you know the password?"

"Fuck you!" said the man, spitting blood at Tristan.

"I'll take that as a yes." Tristan shoved the dagger into the man's mouth. Twisting it so that his gums bled more, and so that it took more teeth. To say it was effective would be an understatement. The man's screamed echoed throughout the building, making Keith almost feel bad for the poor bastard. _Almost_.

"It's 7409." Muttered the man.

"I didn't quite catch that." Tristan twisted the blade once more before pulling it out "could you repeat that?"

"7409." Said the man "now, can I please go?"

"Depends." Said Keith.

"On what?" asked the man

"If you've given us the right password." Said Keith tossing the phone to Tristan

"Type it in." said Tristan. The man hesitated before typing in the password. Tristan grinned as he looked at the blood on the screen "you lied to us!"

"No!" said the man, realizing the mistake "no I didn't."

"Than what's with the blood on the screen!" asked Keith "sure doesn't look like the place the numbers you gave us are."

"It's just smudged there!" insisted the man "I swear. I would never lie, not when it comes to never seeing my family!"

"Well than you choose the wrong job." Said Tristan stabbing the man through the ribs. Piercing the heart and killing him instantly.

"What does the piece of paper say?" asked Tristan as he took the man's blood. Keith watched the blood force itself into Tristan's hand before disappearing. "Well?"

"Oh!" said Keith opening the piece of paper "it's, just a note."

"What's it say?" asked Tristan, becoming even more impatient.

"Beware the Crimson Mask." Said Keith with a smile.

Tristan chuckled "that old mask! I thought I threw it out years ago!"

"I know right!" said Keith "but you can't blame them. That use to be the face of terror back when you first began. A black mask with a thin red smiling face, it's creepy as all hell."

"Yeah." Said Tristan "it was meant to be creepy. To make someone uneasy enough to make a mistake, or just give up."

"When covered in blood, it was most effective." Said Keith "you gave me shivers when I first saw it."

"What else does it say?" asked Tristan

"That's it." Said Keith flipping the page to he could see it "it just says to be afraid of you."

"At least they haven't lost their brains." Said Tristan walking out "but they sure as all hell lost their bite."

"What do you mean?" asked Keith, catching up in the hallway.

"Look at them!" said Tristan "in a year, the empire I spent five years building, became nothing more than a joke!"

"The executives play things are still here." Said Keith

"They won't be a problem." Said Tristan

"But you taught them!" said Keith "there're basically five of you against us!"

"What I taught them was something full of holes." Said Tristan opening the front doors "compared to me now. It'd take one hundred of them to even scratch me."

"You're not a god you know." Said Keith, Tristan froze "you may have these special ability's, and super strength. But you're not invincible."

"You too much like her." Muttered Tristan

"What was that?" asked Keith

"Nothing." Said Tristan "I'll see you back home."

"Okay." Said Keith getting into his car "see you later." Tristan ran off. Jumping and sprinting faster than the tears could form.

"Why do you have to remind me!" said Tristan

"Oh, you've become interesting." Said the mysterious girl in her car "so the old master says we're nothing to him? We'll see about that." The girl began trailing Keith back to the light house.

"Get here now!" said Garnet, Tristan didn't ask any questions.

"What's with the earth tremors?" asked Tristan

"It's Malachite." Said Pearl

"Who?" asked Tristan

"Oh right, you weren't there for that." Said Amethyst

"There for what?" asked Tristan

"When Lapis fused with Jasper, and forced her into the ocean." Said Garnet

"Oh." Said Tristan as they arrived at the watermelon island. They ran over to the commotion and there they saw, Malachite!

"Alright, let's put an end to this." Said Garnet as everyone fused into Alexandrite, becoming just as large at Malachite. They charged forward at each other, but Tristan couldn't move. It fascinating to him, it was worse than Jade. With Jade he had hatred for her, but Malachite? He'd never even mat Lapis or Jasper! There was nothing to feel! To Tristan, Malachite was a weapon stronger than him!

Tristan snapped back to reality when Malachite swung at Tristan. Tristan jumped out of the way and summoned his sabre. Leaping onto her arm and running up it. Making deep cuts into her fingers whenever she tried to grab him. "Move!" screamed Alexandrite as she charged Malachite. Tristan jumped, watching Alexandrite spew fire all over Malachite. Tristan landed on her right as she shoved Alexandrite back with a large wave. Tristan stabbed his sabre into Malachite's eye. She screamed out in pain as she stumbled back. Giving Alexandrite a chance to hit Malachite. She grunted as she finally grabs Tristan, crushing his bones and throwing him into the cliff. Malachite pinned Alexandrite to cliff, causing Tristan to fall off the cliff and into the sand.

Tristan heard them talking, he heard Alexandrite, no. He heard the gems trying to stay together, trying to get Malachite away from his broken body while trying to fight back. But he was in there way. He was in there way! It was a first, but also his fault! Tristan coughed up blood, something he hadn't done in a while, and forced his broken legs to stand. Tristan looked over at them and raised his left hand. He tried to force the crimson pedals out of his hand, but he couldn't. It wouldn't allow him! Tristan smashed the wall in frustration as he noticed something wrong with his gem. "Oh shit!" said Tristan as he saw the large crack in his gem. His Beryl! Tristan began panicking as he realized something. He wouldn't be able do to anything the whole fight! He was useless, worthless, nothing more than just a sack of flesh and blood. Blood! Tristan raised his hand again "if I can't use the blood of my victims. Then I'll use my own blood." Tristan lost feeling in his left leg, than his right. Before he knew it he lost feeling in his whole body. Except for his left arm, holding all the blood in his body. Tristan forced his bloody petals out of his palm, and shot them right at Malachite. Tristan laid on the sand, his body completely dry of blood.

"Uh?" said Malachite before she got hit by Tristan's pedals. She screamed as he hit her right in the face. Cutting all of her eyes, effectively blinding her. Right after that Steven, in the body of a watermelon Steven, came leading an army of watermelon Steven's. Throwing spears and shooting arrows at the blind Malachite. Alexandrite took advantage of this and attacked Malachite with Sugalite's flail, hitting her in the face. Alexandrite pulls in Malachite and smashes her into the air with Sardonyx's hammer.

"You two should spend some time apart." Said Alexandrite as she shot Malachite with Opals bow and arrow. Causing Malachite to unfuse back into Lapis and Jasper.

Tristan woke up, his lungs full of water. Tristan shot up from the fountain, coughing up the water he inhaled. "Welcome back." Said Garnet

"That was extremely dangerous of you!" said Pearl "using up all of the blood in your body? What were you thinking."

"Duh, it's obvious." Said Amethyst "he wasn't thinking."

"You got that right." Said Tristan as he got out of the fountain, realizing that his shirt was ripped to shreds and his pants almost gone.

"Wow!" said Amethyst "haven't seen one of those since Rome!"

"Amethyst!" said Pearl before stealing a glance at Tristan muscular body and large… "Oh!" said Pearl as she looked away.

"True." Said Garnet "a naked man in the streets is rare now a days."

"Who cares!" said Tristan as he walked to the warp pad, we have to get to Steven before the cluster emerges.

"Not like that!" said Garnet.

"Guy's, you're back." Said Steven "I-is Lapis ok?"

"She'll be fine." Said Garnet

"You look happy." Said Pearl "did you destroy the cluster?"

"No." said Steven "I talked to it."

"What?" said Pearl

"Yeah, what do you mean by that?" asked Tristan

"It doesn't want to destroy the earth!" said Steven "It just wants company, and now it's got it! It's like a bajillion people! They'll have lots of time to get to know each other, now that they're in a bubble."

"How on earth did you bubble that whole thing?" asked Pearl

"We had a little help." Said Steven

Tristan walked into the light house, it was silent, too silent. Even for Keith, this was not a funny joke. Tristan opened the basement door and walked downstairs. Tristan's eyes narrowed as he saw guns that should've been on the wall all over the floor. Bullets casings everywhere, along with bullet holes. Tristan grimaced as he saw his name written in blood, Keith's blood. Tristan scowled as the message they left "are we still not a problem?"


	18. Chapter 18

Tristan walked through the doors, already covered in blood from the guards outside. Tristan shot the man on standing behind the desk and the women on the couch. She didn't look like one of them, but he didn't care anymore, if they were willing to kill anyone to get rid of him. Then he would do the same. Tristan shot anybody in sight, with or without a gun. Tristan walked down the hallways of the hotel, kicking down the doors to all the rooms. "Where is your boss?" Tristan asked the first person.

"I have kids!" said the mom, Tristan shot her in the back of the head. Tristan asked the same question to the next person.

"On a trip in Europe!" said the man, he was gutted alive. Tristan reached the last room on the top floor, before he could kick down the door he was shot, multiple times. Tristan touched his shoulder, thigh and stomach. All of them bleeding profusely, but he didn't even feel them. He refused to feel them, he blocked them out, ignored them like it was just a gust of wind. Though oddly enough when his gem got crack it was something he couldn't block out. When his gem emerged he fazed in and out of consciousness, so that was acceptable. But he was fully conscious when his gem was cracked. Tristan snapped out of his thoughts when he heard talking.

"Is he dead?" asked one of the men.

"I can't hear anything." Said another. Tristan fired the rest of his clip into the door "shit!" screamed on of the men as he got hit. Tristan ran into the room at full speed with daggers drawn. He was a blur, cutting off hands, fingers, and pinning everyone to the wall via a dagger through their hands and into the wall.

"I would take my sweet time with you." Said Tristan revealing all the daggers under the cheap coat he bought "but I'm in a rush. So you tell me what I want to know and you live. If not." Tristan pointed to the person in front of the door "I'll carve you a beautiful new smile. So." Said Tristan crouching to the man on the far end "do you know where I can find one of the executives play things?"

"Fuck you-" Tristan stabbed him through the eye before he could finish his sentence.

"Next!" said Tristan, not showing any emotion, just simply walking over to the next like he was strolling down the street. "Do you know where I can find one?"

"Suck my black-" Tristan shoved a dagger through the man's mouth.

"Next!" said Tristan, irritation starting to show "you guys are running out of time. You better start talking." He crouched to the women "would you like to tell me?"

"They're at-"

"Stop!" interrupted Tristan "whisper it in my ear." The women whispered it in his ear "you better be telling me the truth." Said Tristan as he went to the next person "your turn. Whisper it." Tristan frowned at the man's answer. Tristan walked over to the last person. She whispered it into his ear, Tristan frowned. "One of your answers don't add up." Tristan brutally stabbed the first women's throat "you lied to me!" Tristan looked at the last two "thank you for telling me the truth." Tristan kicked the second man with all of his strength, effectively snapping his neck.

"Fuck you man!" said the women "you're not gonna get any more from me!"

"Oh don't worry." Said Tristan "I believe what you've given me is plenty!" Tristan stabbed the women through the chest, piercing her heart.

Tristan grabbed the clothes and out them on. Just a white t-shirt, brown jacket, and grey jeans along with new shoes. "I'd like to pay for these." Said Tristan "as well as donate these old clothes." Tristan gave the women the blood soaked clothes in a bag. Tristan put some money on the table "just stay silent about the blood on the clothes." The women said nothing but grab the money as Tristan walked out the door, and disposed of the old clothes.

Tristan walked up to the large warehouse. It was right next to an apartment complex, it was so clearly a trap. It would be easy with his gem powers. But Garnet made him promise to never use his powers against regular humans, and with her future vision he couldn't so easily break that rule. So he was stuck with just guns and his super speed and strength. Tristan grabbed his guns, new clips in his pockets and a new supply of daggers strapped inside of his coat. Tristan slung the shotgun he found in the barn over his shoulder. If he found Keith alive he'd hoped that he wasn't too weak to use a gun. He opened the wide doors and walked inside, he heard the faint giggles of which he knew too well of. Tristan scowled as he felt a rather long pin stab into the side of his neck. Tristan took it out, it was poisoned. "Expensive, smells of flowers." Muttered Tristan as he threw it on the ground. "I'm honored that you would use Aconite on me." Said Tristan, loud voice echoing throughout the warehouse "it's very dangerous, and expensive. You must be desperate if you want me dead that badly."

She giggled again "I wouldn't do anything less than for my former master." She dropped from the high ceiling, landing with perfection, just like he taught her. "Of course I would've used something that would cause you more pain. But I'm short on time. To be honest I'm impressed that you're not panicking."

"You shouldn't be." Said Tristan walking forward "this is nothing anymore, Evelyn."

She giggled "you don't need to lie. We both know you love to bluff, your body should be going numb right about now." Tristan just kept walking forward with a smile on his face "of course you were good at blocking out every kind of pain. So it's no surprise that you're still walking."

"You're dead." Said Tristan as he pointed his gun at her.

"You're vision should be blurring about now." Tristan tightened his finger on the trigger "and your limbs should start failing you." Tristan tightened it even more "and with your state of mind, you're probably panicking. Trying to find a way out of this predicament while trying to scare me-" Tristan shot her right in the knee cap. She screamed like Tristan had never heard her scream. "Y-you missed me."

"I never miss." Said Tristan

"That's bullshit!" said Evelyn "this should be impossible, why aren't you on the floor foaming at the mouth?"

"I'm not exactly human anymore." Said Tristan as he tossed his gun to the side.

"Like you ever were?" said Evelyn

Tristan grinned "funny joke." Tristan forced the crimson petals out of his hands and they swirled in the air. Evelyn gasped at the display "I'm not allowed to use these on humans. But right now I couldn't give a damn." His petals shredded her entire arm off. "You should consider yourself lucky Evelyn. You'll be the first human to experience my newest form of torture. Something not even Garnet could ever notice." Evelyn pulled out a tiny gun and shot Tristan right in the chest. Tristan stumbled as he coughed up blood.

"Take that you shitless bastard!" screamed Evelyn as she began laughing hysterically. She stopped laughing when she noticed the petals still flying in the air. "But-" Evelyn looked over at Tristan standing back up.

"I thought you already knew." Said Tristan spitting some blood "I never had a heart to begin with." Evelyn screamed in terror as she aimed her gun again. But this time she didn't have an arm, because it was consumed by the swarm of bloody petals. "Say hi to the others when I send them down to hell with you." Tristan grabbed her neck as he squirmed around. Her eyes bulging out in anger and fear. Tristan just kept squeezing until he heard a satisfying crack. Tristan dropped her limp body on the ground and let his swarm of petals take the blood from her body. Tristan walked over to the office and saw Keith tied up with two dead security guards right next to him.

"The doctor says I'll be better in about a year." Said Keith as he limped over to Tristan. When Tristan found him his ribs, arms, and legs were shattered while his neck was fractured.

"Guess you'll be staying at my house until you get better." Said Tristan as he helped Keith into the car.

"Yeah." Said Keith "She also said that she'll check up on me in six to nine months."

Tristan froze "please don't tell me you gave her my address."

"Who else would I have given her?" asked Keith

"Why not your bar?" said Tristan pinching the top of his nose

"Tristan, not everyone is out to get us." Said Keith

"But they have connections!" said Tristan

"God damn it!" said Keith "she'd a doctor!"

"So was Evelyn." Said Tristan "and look at what I made her!"

"She a nice lady!" said Keith

"We'll just kill her if she tries anything." Said Tristan as he drove up to his light house.

"You never change." Said Keith

"That's not true." Said Tristan

"I meant mentally." Said Keith

"Also not true!" said Tristan

"Then let me put it like this." Said Keith "you can change externally and somewhat internally, like with love and such. But your morals will never change, and your lust for blood when wanting to protect something will only become stronger."

Tristan chuckled "now you got it right!"

"He shouldn't have!" said Pearl

"He did it for a good reason." Said Garnet "I'll let it pass this one time."

"But, she was only fifteen!" said Pearl

"And he's only eighteen!" said Garnet "not that much of a difference."

"We should warn him." Said Pearl "explain to him that it's not right."

"He won't listen." Said Garnet "he already knows the harsh truth of the world. How it really works, compared to even you, he's possibly the most tortured soul in the entire universe."


	19. Chapter 19

"I'll show you again." Said the recording of Beryl as she made gems shards float out of her hand and form her sabre "this is our power. The power to use the shards of our fallen enemy's. Of course with you there could be a mutation, because you're the first forced fusion of your kind. But I'm fairly certain that if it ever does change, it will never stray too far off from its original concept. So when you see this, make note of what you can do and compare it with what I can do." Tristan nodded at he stopped the recording.

"I can control the blood of those I've killed." Said Tristan as he looked throughout the records of Beryl's knowledge "but can I also control the shards?"

"That sounds really sad." Said a voice. Tristan turned around to see Steven there! "What is this place?"

"Why are you here?" asked Tristan, angry and confused "How are you here?"

"It looks like a library." Said Steven "I thought you didn't need to sleep."

"Answer my question!" said Tristan

"I need your help!" said Steven "I need Lapis and Peridot to get along."

"Are you kidding me?" said Tristan "you invaded my most private and personal space for a favor? Why don't you just wait until morning for me to wake up?"

"It's like the afternoon." Said Steven

"Oh shit!" said Tristan as he woke up.

"Look at who's finally up." Said Keith as he hobbled over to the couch "you enjoy your nap?"

"Shut the hell up." Said Tristan as he got up, putting a shirt on "I need to go somewhere. Need anything?"

"Yeah." Said Keith "some goddamn food."

"There's money in the basement." Said Tristan "order take out."

"I thought you were supposed to take care of me." Said Keith "also I shouldn't, doc says my diet should consist of-"

"Well than todays a cheat day." Said Tristan as he grabbed a handful of cash and shoved it in his pocket.

"That's what you said yesterday!" said Keith

"Forget yesterday." Said Tristan as he walked out the door.

"So what did you need me for?" asked Tristan as he and Steven got off the warp pad near the barn.

"I already told you in that, library." Said Steven

"It's an archive of Beryl's memories and recordings." Said Tristan "and why aren't Lapis and Peridot getting along?"

"I want to know that too." Said Peridot as she walked out the barn "she makes no sense!"

"Why's that?" asked Tristan

"She simply rejects Peridot." Said Steven

"Ok." Said Tristan "what've you done?"

"We tried to spilt up the barn into two different sections." Said Steven

"And I spent an hour on a picture!" said Peridot "and she still hasn't forgiven me!"

"What did you do to her?" asked Tristan

"I captured her and tortured her for information about the Crystal Gems." Said Peridot "not that much!"

"Are you serious?" said Tristan "that's it?"

"Yeah, I know right!" said Peridot

"Wait, what?" said Steven "what do you mean that's it? It's horrible!"

"Oh that's nothing." Said Tristan "Gem torture is nothing compared to human torture. Comparing them side by side is like comparing the strength of a regular human to Garnet's strength."

"But how!" said Peridot "without better technology, mere humans could never surpass Gems in our tactics of getting information!."

"All you do is beat and shock someone." Said Tristan "break them down mentally than release or shatter them. You people lack creativity."

"Please!" said Steven "do not go on!"

"Please do!" said Peridot

"Later." Said Tristan "but first let us fix your problem with Lapis."

"So why did you build a pool?" asked Tristan "I thought we were going with the idea of buying her something?"

"But this is free!" said Steven

"And Lapis is associated with water!" said Peridot "it's perfect!"

"I don't know." Said Tristan "didn't she-"

"I'll go get her!" said Steven running off

"Oh shit." Said Tristan "you guys probably fucked up big time."

"Why do you say that?" asked Peridot as she got on the tube on the water.

"You'll see." Said Tristan as he saw Steven with who he assumed to be Lapis.

"Well, here we are." Said Steven as Lapis unfolded her water wings. Tristan grinned as he saw the smile on Lapis's face disappear.

"I knew it." Muttered Tristan as she only looked more disgusted.

"H-2-Oh my gosh!" said Peridot as she floated on her little rubber tube "It's a smaller than average lake!" Lapis looked over at Steven, looked over at Tristan, and back at Peridot. "It's a gift for you! You know, cause water's your thing." Peridot chuckled as she looked over at a smirking Tristan. Though she thought he was smirking for completely different reasons. "Pretty good, right?" Tristan shook his head as Peridot continued "The barn's out here in the country, but now you can get your moisture fix whenever." Peridot began wiggling her fingers around "do all that water stuff you do!"

"Water?" said Lapis as she began squinting her eyes "really?"

"Yeah!" said Peridot proudly.

"You do realize that I spent the last few months trapped under the ocean right?" asked Lapis.

"Sure!" said Peridot glancing over at Tristan, almost about to laugh "but I thought-"

"It was an endless, crushing darkness." Described Lapis " _Wet_ , and, _bleak_ , and _suffocating_. Water was the tomb I lived in for those months."

"T-Tomb you say?" Said Peridot as she began to realize why Tristan was laughing at her choice to make the pool.

"Yeah. I'm kind of taking a break from water." Said Lapis as she noticed a snickering Tristan by the barn. "But thanks…for the lake."

"Uhh…" said Steven as he also realized his mistake.

"Don't worry Steven. It's not your fault." Said Lapis as she glanced over at Tristan "and stay away from that human."

"Huh?" asked Steven until he noticed Tristan over at the barn.

"He's very dangerous." Said Lapis before she summoned her water wings and flew off.

"That was fun." Said Tristan "so are we gonna buy her something?"

"No!" said Steven "it has to be something meaningful!"

"But you're spending hard earned cash on someone!" said Tristan "and…Yeah your right. It means jack shit."

"How about you give her something important to you!" said Steven "like a piece of you!"

"Ummm…ok?" said Peridot thinking "how about my camp pining hearts DVD?"

"Which season?" asked Steven, judging whether or not it was a worthy gift.

"Season…5?" said Peridot, doubtful.

"Trash." Said Steven shrugging.

"I know!" Said Peridot lying down on her back.

"What the hell is camp pining hearts?" asked Tristan

"Stop right there!" said Steven before Peridot could open her mouth "you do not want to go there with her!"

"Whatever!" screamed Peridot, frustrated. "clearly there's nothing important enough to give to Lazuli." Peridot sighed as she looked at her tape recorder "at least I have you. Tape recorder." Peridot snapped up "that's it!"

"What?" asked Tristan "what're we going to go?"

"Ta-dah!" said Peridot as she presented her gift to Lapis. Lapis just stared at Peridot as she and Steven inched closer. Tristan just standing behind them with his arm crossed and smirk on his face. "See, the ribbons even blue. I got yo number." Peridot lifted the box to Lapis as she continued to stare at her. Peridot glanced back at Steven as he shrugged and Tristan did the same. A grin glued to his face. "I'll unwrap it for you." Peridot began tearing at the box "when I was stuck here, Steven gave me this tape recorder as a gift and I didn't really get it at first. But it made me feel better. Just to talk about weird stuff that was happening. It'll help you too!" Lapis silently grabbed the tape recorder, just staring at it. "you, ummm, press the button to record, an-and then you talk into it!"

Lapis glanced at the recorder before pressing the button and speaking into it. "I don't want, your garbage!" Said Lapis angrily as she crushes the tape recorder and drops it on the ground. Steven stared in horror and shock as Peridot flinched as the tape recorder hit the floor. Tristan just closed his eyes and lightly shook his head, with an evil grin on his face.

"Nnguh! What, were you trapped in a tape recorder too?" Lapis stared at her, completely enraged by the comment. Making Tristan snicker as Peridot rubbed her gem like she had a headache. "Look I get it, you know? You're confused! You can never go back to homeworld. This place, doesn't exactly feel like home yet. You're alone, no one could possible know how that feels like. Oh wait, _I do_! We're the same, except, you don't have to be alone. So tell me than, what you want from me! And whatever that is, I'll do it!"

Lapis scowled and snarled as she said "I want you, to leave!"

"Ok." Said Peridot, clearly hurt, walking away.

"Lapis, why are you being so mean to her?" asked Steven "she's really trying!"

"Why do you trust her?" asked Lapis.

"Cause she's not a complete asshole." Said Tristan, finally speaking up.

"Yeah! Whatever that means!" said Steven "But it's also because we know her! Lapis, you're not even giving her a chance! You should've at least gotten to know her before you decided you don't even like her!" Lapis looked over at the tape recorder with a tinge of regret. "Now it's too late, and she's never coming back."

"I wouldn't say that." Said Tristan with a frown on his face as they saw Peridot sprinting over towards them, screaming.

"Oh, she's coming back again!" said Steven as Peridot ran right past him.

"They're here! Ahhhhh!" screamed Peridot as her screams faded away and a large red floating ship appeared from the sky.

"Run!" said Tristan as they bolted for the barn.

"What is that thing?" asked Steven, heavily panting.

"It's a roaming eye, a homeworld tracking vessel!" Said Peridot "I told you, I'm public enemy number one!" Tristan shushed them as the roaming eye floated above the barn, light shining through the roof. Everyone relaxed as he light disappeared and left them, but it was short lived as the beam of light shone through the large in the wall. Tristan forced as many bloody petals out of his hand before shooting it at the roaming eye.

"Get out, now!" Screamed Tristan as he grabbed Steven and Peridot.

"You did it!" said Peridot

"Like hell I did." Said Tristan "with that pitiful amount of petals and them just wondering around. They'll be here in no time. Almost as if on cue the roaming eye floated in front of them.

"This is it!" said Peridot getting in front of Steven "Stay behind me, I'll protect you." Lapis walked forward slowly and Tristan summoned more petals. Before Tristan could even release havoc Lapis formed a large water hand, bigger than the roaming eye itself. She flicked it before swatting it on the ground, like it wasn't a threat at all.

"Damn." Said Tristan as the rest of his petals forced their way into his palm "remind me to never piss you off."

"Dully noted." Said Lapis as her water arm fell back into the pool.

"Steven!" screamed Pearl as she and the rest of the gems ran over.

"Holy smokes." Said Amethyst

"Are you alright?" asked Pearl "we saw the ship and came as fast as we could!"

"Yeah, I'm ok." Said Steven "Tristan and Lapis saved us, but it looks like Homeworld really has it out for Peridot."

"Peridot." Said Lapis as Peridot tried to crawl away "are you ok?" Peridot beamed with happiness that Lapis cared about her. "Um…" Lapis blushed as she turned away to hide it. But Steven and Tristan caught it, causing them both to begin lightly laughing as the gems stared in curiosity. A sound emits from the roaming eye as a one eyed ruby soldier looked over, staring menacingly at them.


	20. Chapter 20

"What the hell are they doing here?" asked Tristan as he peeked out at the Rubies through the cracks in the barn wall.

"They're after me!" said Peridot "this is the end of the line!"

"You really weren't kidding." Said Lapis

"I disobeyed a direct order from Yellow Diamond, and I called her a clod. To her face!" said Peridot

"Oh, honestly." Said Pearl "you call everyone a clod."

"Yes." Said Peridot running across the barn "but not everyone has command over all the armies of Homeworld waiting for the world to shatter me!" Peridot grabbed a box and hide under it.

"Peridot, we won't let them get you." Said Steven as he lifted the box

"But haven't I caused you enough trouble?" asked Peridot

"Don't worry Peridot." Said Garnet "It's our sworn duty to protect anything that calls this planet home. And that includes clods like you."

"That's my word…" Whispered Peridot

"Listen up everybody." Said Garnet as she turned towards the rest of them "I have a plan, or should I say. We, have a plan." Garnet began to giggle as she unfused into Ruby and Sapphire.

"Hello everyone." Said Sapphire.

"Ruby! Sapphire!" said Pearl and Amethyst at the same time.

"Huuugs!" said Steven as he ran up to them and hugged them both.

"Hello, Steven!" said Sapphire

"So what's the plan?" asked Amethyst

"You got this." Said Sapphire to Ruby "just act casual."

"Yeah." Said Ruby punching her palm "casual."

Tristan walked over to Lapis. "I don't think we've properly met." Said Tristan "I'm Tristan."

"I know." Said Lapis "Steven's talked about you before."

"Neat." Said Tristan leaning back.

"Stay away from him." Said Lapis

"No." said Tristan bluntly

"Excuse me?" said Lapis

"No." repeated Tristan "I can't really stay away from him. I'm a Crystal Gem too."

"Why'd they except a monster like you?" asked Lapis

"It was either them or join Homeworld." Said Tristan "and I got tired of Homeworld."

"But how could they!" said Lapis "you're worse than any Homeworld general I know."

"True." Said Tristan standing up as he saw Ruby running back "but it takes a monster to recognize a monster." Lapis scowled as Tristan grinned and walked away.

"They want to search the barn!" said Ruby

"We heard." Said Steven

"We saw." Said Pearl

"I'm scared." Said Peridot

"Let's ambush them!" said Amethyst

"No. No one needs to get hurt. Let's be sensible." Said Sapphire

"So we aren't gonna fight them?" asked Tristan

"No." said Sapphire "you'd just shatter them."

"True." Said Tristan as he leaned back on the barn "but why not just poof and bubble them?"

"Homeworld would get suspicious." Said Sapphire

"Aren't they already?" asked Tristan

"No." said Sapphire "just very, very pissed at Peridot."

"What do I do?" asked Ruby, bitting her fingers.

"Just go out there and tell them this is a place where humans live." Said Sapphire, putting her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"I don't want to go alone." Said Ruby sighing.

"Oh!" Said Steven "I'll come. I'll be your back up."

"Here's a backup, for your backup." Said Amethyst handing Steven a baseball bat.

"This cannot work." Said Tristan "how can this possibly work?"

"You'll see." Said Sapphire.

"Oh shit." Said Tristan "what's gonna happen."

"You'll see." Said Sapphire as Steven and Ruby ran in.

"Baseball!" said everyone.

"I…saw that this was a possibility." Said Sapphire "though I am surprised that this is the path we are taking."

Steven blew a whistle "alright! My human baseball knowledge will lead us to victory. Let's just got out there and pretend to be humans. Except for Peridot and Tristan. You stay here and hide while Tristan protects you in case they come in here." Steven looked over at Lapis. "Everybody in? Lapis?"

Lapis chuckled "this plan sucks."

"Wow." Said Tristan "they're really going at it."

"How can you be so calm?" asked Peridot "we could die!"

"You could die." Said Tristan "I've shattered a Homeworld general, a few Rubies don't scare me."

"How have you shattered?" asked Peridot.

"Jade." Said Tristan

"Could you be a bit more specific?" asked Peridot "you do realize there are thousands, if not. Millions of Jades on Homeworld."

"She had a very large spear that glowed green and moved extremely fast." Said Tristan

"Really?" asked Peridot " _she's_ the one you shattered?"

"Yup." Said Tristan laying down.

"You do realize she's one of the lowest ranking generals." Said Peridot

"What?" asked Tristan

"Yeah." Said Peridot "Compared to the Jasper I was with, she's almost nothing to her."

"How so?" asked Tristan

"Let me show you." Said Peridot, drawing a tower with ten levels "the Jade you shattered would be in this area." Said Peridot "on the third or fourth floor. The Jasper I was with would be on the eighth or tenth floor."

"So what?" asked Tristan "it's not that much of a difference."

"Let me finish." Said Peridot "each level is determined by how many gems you've shattered, and how difficult they were. Each gem is raised by these two categories. For Jade and how many gem's she's shattered, which should be about four thousand. She'd be on the fourth level. While for skill she'd be on the third floor. Jasper, for how many gems she's shattered, which should be eight thousand. She'd be on the eighth floor. On terms of skill though, Jasper would undoubtedly be on the tenth floor. The top floor."

Tristan just stared at the drawing, sweat forming on his forehead. From not fear, but anger. "And where would I be?" asked Tristan

"How many gems have you shattered?" asked Peridot

"Less than a hundred." Said Tristan

"Then the first floor." Said Peridot, Tristan gripped the barns floor. "But on terms of skill, you'd definitely be on the fifth floor, if not, barely touching the sixth floor."

"Is there a possibility, that I could beat Jasper." Asked Tristan

"I wouldn't doubt it." Said Peridot "if you summoned enough of those petals. You could easily overwhelm her."

"What about hand to hand combat?" asked Tristan

"Doubt it." Said Peridot "your sabre might just not cut it." Tristan glared at her like he was gonna shatter her gem. "I'm not saying that I doubt your skill!" said Peridot putting her hands up "but in terms of strength. Jasper could overwhelm you." Tristan's eye twitched as he looked up at the ceiling. "Hey, how's it going?" asked Peridot as Steven grabbed another bat "Are we winning?"

"Well…" Steven chuckled nervously "we're doing just fine. Everything's gonna be A-Okay."

"You're lying!" said Peridot

"To make you feel better!" said Steven

"Thank you!" said Peridot

"How do I get stronger." Muttered Tristan as he played with a piece of wood "I could try to destroy that damn underworld I built without my powers. But that would take time I don't have."

"What are talking about?" asked Peridot

"Non-of your business." Snapped Tristan

"Okay?" said Peridot backing away from him.

"So how am I supposed to become better than everybody?" muttered Tristan, carving Jaspers name into the floor over and over again.

"Wait!" screamed Peridot.

"What the!" Tristan looked around the barn and she wasn't there. "Fucking idiot!" said Tristan as he sprinted out of the barn and towards where everyone was.

"She's on the planet Neptune!" said Steven, pointing to the sky.

"Well why didn't you say so?" said the Rubies as they unfused.

"What just happened?" asked Tristan

"They weren't looking for Peridot." Said Steven

"They were looking for Jasper." Said Garnet, back together.

"Man, Rubies are dumb." Said Amethyst.

"Not, _all_ Ruby's." Said Garnet

"You want me to do what?" asked Pearl

"That holo-Pearl." Said Tristan "let me use it for training."

"Where is this coming from?" asked Pearl "last I checked you were fairly competent and over confident about your skills."

"I want to be able to beat Jasper." Said Tristan

"Again, where is this coming from?" asked Pearl

"Please!" said Tristan "I just need a week's worth of training!"

"Are you sure?" asked Pearl "because it takes years of training to become a master swordsman."

"Than a month's worth of training!" said Tristan

"You cannot be serious!" said Pearl

"Just train him yourself." Said Garnet

"But…" said Pearl

"And when you do use your holo-Pearl." Interrupted Garnet "make it harder than a basic warm up level."

"Wait, so that one holo-Pearl in the sky arena was…" said Tristan

"Meant for Connie's warm up." Said Pearl "I must say I was impressed when you took control of the situation that quickly!"

"So it's swings were, powered down?" asked Tristan

"Well of course. " said Pearl "using my full strength on a human would shatter there bones! But you should be fine."

"True." Said Tristan

"Are you sure you're up for this?" asked Pearl

"Why the hell would I be asking you if I weren't up for it? "asked Tristan with a grin on his face. "When do we began?"


	21. Chapter 21

"Fuck!" grunted Tristan as he cut himself grabbing holo-Pearls sword. He pulled her forward and cut her arm off before cutting her in half.

"Not bad." Said Pearl as she approached Tristan "but next time, try to not be as barbaric and get injured. Then maybe we can make your warm up harder.""

"I almost regret this." Said Tristan as he wiped his forehead with a towel.

"What was that?" asked Pearl

"Nothing." Said Tristan as he summoned two sabres "let's continue."

"Are you sure you don't need a break?" asked Pearl "you look really tired."

"I'm fine." Said Tristan "now give me your best."

"Are you sure?" asked Pearl "you're better than Connie, but you don't seem to have as much stamina."

"I'm pushing myself for a reason." Said Tristan "now hurry up and get ready."

"Fine." Said Pearl wielding two swords. Tristan lunged forward, using brute force to push her back before jumping to the side and trying to stab at her legs. Pearl jumped up high onto a pillar, with Tristan in hot pursuit. She balanced herself while Tristan chose speed over carefulness. Jumping from pillar to pillar, trying to reach Pearl. Tristan slashed at her neck, barely scratching her before blocking her fast barrage of attacks. Crashing and rolling on the ground before sprinting at Pearl as she landed perfectly. Tristan stabbed and swung his sabre's as fast as he could, nothing fancy like twisting and jumping. Just fast and powerful. Tristan finally found an opening and went for it, stabbing Pearl in the shoulder while she stabbed him in the stomach. Pearl kicked him into a wall and brought her sword to his throat. "Not bad." Said Pearl "but your still a few thousand years too young to be beating me."

Tristan scowled as he forced his blood to stop flowing out and into his hand "again."

"Again?" said Pearl "wasn't that enough?"

"This is training." Said Tristan "there is no enough."

"I like your train of thought." Said Pearl as she and Tristan got ready to fight again.

"Damn it." Said a shirtless and sweaty Tristan as his legs hung off the side of the arena "she's not even giving it her all!"

"She will eventually." Said Garnet as she sat next to Tristan "just give it a week."

"Sure." Said Tristan "it's like you said that one time. I'm good, but I'm not that good."

"Hey, where did your ego go?" asked Garnet "I thought that you were the best."

"Shut up." Said Tristan as he stood up and began walking over to the warp pad.

"Don't forget to put on a shirt!" said Garnet as she tossed him his shirt. Tristan caught it and put it on as he left the arena and warped back to the house.

"Back already?" asked Amethyst

"Shut up." Said Tristan as he walked out the door "wait, where's Steven?"

"What do you mean?" asked Amethyst

"He's not in bed." Said Tristan pointing to the empty room

"Oh." Said Amethyst "I'm sure he's fine."

"You should look for him." Said Tristan as he walked out the door

"But why me?" grumbled Amethyst as she looked under the bed

"Your back late." Said Keith "at a bar?"

"I wish." Said Tristan "if I could still get drunk than we'd have twenty different coolers full of beer."

"Why don't we?" asked Keith "I could sure as hell use some great tasting morphine."

"You'd be on the floor screaming about how you did nothing with your life, blaming it all on the economy and your job." Said Tristan grabbing ingredients out of the fridge

"I've never done that!" said Keith

"You only do that!" said Tristan as he began heating up a pan.

"Please tell me you're not just cooking eggs again?" asked Keith

"Don't worry." Said Tristan as he grabbed a cutting board "I have other ingredients."

"For the last god damn time." Said Keith "no more eggs! That's all you've given me for the past few days."

"That's all I learned how to cook before _it_ happened." Said Tristan

"Really?" asked Keith "didn't your parents own a restaurant?"

"Yeah." Said Tristan "but we don't have the proper ingredients for those recipes and I don't want to get off my lazy ass and go to the store."

"I hate you." Said Keith leaning back on the couch.

"Not as much as you hate my cooking." Said Tristan handing he plate over to Keith

"You got that right." Said Keith as he began eating a finally decent omelet.

"Get out here, now!" said Garnet as she barged into the light house. Tristan didn't question it, he relearned to not ask any questions. He simply followed Garnet's orders. "It's about Steven, he's floating in the air."

"What!?" Said Tristan as he looked into the sky, and there he was. Just floating down, like a feather. "How is this possible?"

"Rose had the power to regulate the speed of her descent." Said Garnet

"So why doesn't he just come down?" asked Tristan

"That's that problem." Said Garnet "he doesn't know how too."

"Oh." Said Tristan as he saw Pearl on the beach running around, ready to catch a floating Steven.

"So it's gonna be awhile before he comes down." Said Garnet as she and Tristan landed on the beach "and we need your help keeping Steven company."

"You made me panic over that?" asked Tristan

"It was important that you came." Said Garnet

"Are you gonna tell me why?" asked Tristan

"Nope." Said Garnet as she walked over to Pearl and Amethyst

"Great." Said Tristan as he followed her "just great."

"So what's next?" asked Tristan as Garnet landed from the sky.

"Now it's your turn to entertain him." Said Garnet "and before you say anything, no. Checkers is boring enough as it is, you should do something interesting."

"Like read him a book?" asked Tristan, not quite getting it.

"Not quite." Said Garnet "but you're getting close."

"Care to give me a hint as to what the hell you want me to do?" asked Tristan

"It's up to you, whether or not you want to do it." Said Garnet

"Do what?" asked Tristan "I'm done with your fucking mind games. What do you want me to do? What do you want me to say?"

"That's up to you." Said Garnet

"Goddamn it." Said Tristan as he jumped up to Steven, grabbing a hold of his leg.

"Oh, hey Tristan." Said Steven "what do you want to do?"

"That's up to you." Said Tristan

"Um…" said Steven "how about a story?"

"Sure." Said Tristan "what book do you want me to read?"

"Not like that." Said Steven "I want you to tell me a story about you!"

"You're kidding me, right?" asked Tristan "my stories are just full of blood and gore. You would start crying!"

"But there has to be a time when you were happy!" said Steven "when you were young and innocent."

"I guess." Said Tristan "but it's been years since I've even thought about those times."

"Come on, please!" Begged Steven "I'm so bored!"

"Fine." Said Tristan "I'll tell you about a time before the killing. I was in middle school, I was fairly quiet. With only a few friends that I'd known for almost ten years. Though quiet I was violent, not physically. But I would imagine how I would kill someone when I got bored. How I would run away, and repeat it. It was always my dream to be a hitman, working for some large criminal organization, or hell, even the government if I could. And I wasn't violent because I hated people, I was violent because I got bored of everything. It was all too easy, there was almost nothing that I hadn't done. It was an empty existence. But one day, everyone forgot about me. Just like that, like, poof. I woke up and my parents drove me out of the house because they didn't know who I was. I went to school and everyone stared at me because I was just some kid that they'd never seen before. Even my oldest friends couldn't say my name. It was pure insanity, nothing felt right. It was like someone had erased me from existence all together. That was when I realized I could do what I had dreamed all along. If I was truly erased from existence than I could do whatever I want. And that included killing. So I grabbed a knife from the school kitchen and killed security. They never even saw it coming, it just happened. I than moved on to those whom use to treat me like shit, stabbing them with so much intensity that it hurt to hold the blade. I moved on to teachers I knew, and last but not least. My very best friends. The ones that forgot about me when I needed them the most. I killed them one by one, each one's death slower than the last. That was when I heard the police sirens. I ran faster than I had ever before. I took a secret path that only I and my friends knew about. Imagine my surprise when I saw one of my oldest friends walking to school late on the path. I got ready to kill him, but he remembered me! He said my name before I stabbed him through the mouth. I didn't think much of it until much later when the police had completely lost me. I hid inside my house, forgetting that my parents had thrown me out. My dad came home and found me all bloodied and tired. He tied me up and threw me in the basement. I had known that I got most of my cruelty from my dad, and brains from my mom. But I'd never known my dad's darkest secret, his attraction to young boys. Of course he would never molest his own son, but he didn't know me. And right now, to him, I looked like the perfect target to him. When my mom found out he killed her and fucked her dead corpse right in front of me. I struggled against the chains but I was just a little kid with a fucked up head back then. He raped me and cut me, he even almost sold me on the black market. But before he could, he wanted one last time with me. So I bite off his cock and killed him, unlocked my chains. And took as much money as I could before leaving. I did many illegal jobs for a year before getting picked up by the organization. They taught me mostly everything I know today, and they knew everything about me. In later years I tortured someone with information that told me how they'd been targeting me for years. Saying how they'd drugged the entire community and anyone that knew me, giving them permanent amnesia about me. Of course they had connections everywhere so it was easy for them to pull my name from the books. And it was then that I realized that my friend on the trail hadn't been effected. He'd been out of town that week and came back late. So when he saw me, he came to say hi. Not attack me, and I'd killed him. I realized this two years too late. And I realized that it was the organizations fault that I'd been raped by my dad. It was because of them that killing became a bore. I was so good at it that there came no joy, no rush. Until Homeworld took me." Tristan looked over at a zoned out Steven "Steven?"

Steven shook his head "I'm sorry, I'm kind of tired so I zoned out for a bit. You were saying something about school being boring? That's sad to hear, I thought school would be fun."

"If you thought that was sad, you would've sobbed uncontrollably at the rest." Said Tristan as he let go and landed on the beach.

"You did it." Said Garnet

"Why didn't you just ask me to tell you?" asked Tristan "instead of listening through Steven's phone."

"I wanted you to tell it willingly." Said Garnet "this isn't an interrogation."

"Fair enough." Said Tristan "I'm going back to the lighthouse, I'm tired."

"Sure thing." Said Garnet "you deserve it."

 **Sorry my uploading is so inconsistent; I've been very busy with school and have been very sick as well. So I'll try to keep up with this, but you might have to wait awhile depending on what I have to do. I love you all, Goodnight.**


	22. Chapter 22

The tension was almost unbearable as Tristan and Pearl's blade's continued to lock with each other. Their force causing the floor around them to crack. Tristan shifted his feet as he grabbed ahold of Pearl's hand and pulled her forward, putting his sabre up to her neck as she stabbed him in the leg. Their breathes blowing against each other as they stared at each other. Tristan stared at her soft lips and her perfect eyes as she removed her sword from his leg and he out his sabre down. "Are you ok Tristan?" asked Pearl as Tristan continued to stare at her.

"Yeah." Said Tristan snapping out of his trans like state and stopping the blood from flowing out of his leg "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" asked Pearl "you're not exactly looking well."

"How so?" asked Tristan

"Your face is pale, and your eyes constantly fade in and out. Almost like you can't see anything in front of you." Said Pearl "are you sure everything's alright?"

"Yeah." Said Tristan as he stared up at the sky "everything's just fine."

"I think that's enough practice." Said Garnet as she walked into the sky arena

"Are you sure?" asked Pearl "that was only for an hour?"

"I can keep going!" said Tristan

"Not as you are now." Said Garnet turning to Pearl "Pearl, you should leave. You've done all you can here. But he can't go any further, not as he is now."

"What!?" asked Pearl

"I'll explain later." Said Garnet

"If you say so." Said Pearl walking by Garnet "but please do be careful. Tristan's feeling off today."

"I know." Said Garnet nudging her glasses.

"What's this about?" asked Tristan

"It's about Pearl." Said Garnet

"If it's about Pearl, then why aren't you talking to her?" asked Tristan

"Because she wouldn't like what she's about to hear." Said Garnet

"What's this horrible thing then?" asked Tristan

"You have feelings." Said Garnet

"No shit." Said Tristan

"For Pearl." Said Garnet

"….You're joking right?" asked Tristan "I had thousands of sexy woman in empire city that I could've fucked, and I didn't. So why is Pearl suddenly the one I want?"

"You tell me." Said Garnet

"How am I supposed to when I don't know the answer to that?" asked Tristan

"You're not exactly honest with everyone, let alone yourself." Said Garnet

"Fuck off!" said Tristan standing up "you think you know everything just because you've see the future. But you're wrong! You don't know anything about me! Nothing about the past!"

"I know everything I need to know." Said Garnet

"Bullshit!" said Tristan walking towards the warp pad

"You'll never be able to become stronger if you don't tell yourself the truth!" yelled Garnet. Tristan just shot his middle finger up as he activated the warp pad.

"Oh, perfect timing Tristan!" said Steven as he ran up to Tristan "come on a trip with us!"

"What?" asked Tristan

"We're going to…" said Greg

"That's not important!" interrupted Steven "but it's all ok! It'll just be you, me, dad, Pearl, and don't forget mom!" Pearl and Greg stiffened at the comment as Tristan saw Garnet warping in on the warp pad.

"Let's go." Said Tristan grabbing Steven and Greg "Now!"

"So what did Garnet want to talk to you about?" asked Pearl

"It was nothing." Said Tristan as he looked out the window "just pep talk."

"Garnet wouldn't make me leave unless it was important." Said Pearl "what was it really."

"Like I said." Said Tristan looking at Pearls beautiful figure "it was nothing." Tristan scowled at himself as Pearl looked away.

"You okay buddy?" asked Greg "you're looking kind of down?"

"It's alright." Said Tristan forcing a smile on his face "I just nervous about our road trip."

"It's not exactly a road trip." Said Greg as they approached Le Hotel.

"Why didn't you tell me we were going to empire city!?" asked Tristan he looked outside of the window carefully.

"I knew you wouldn't come if I'd told you we were coming here!" said Steven

"And for good reason Steven!" said Tristan "There's an entire criminal organization trying to kill me because of what I did to them!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait. What did you do to them?" asked Greg

"I left when they tried to keep me here. I killed everyone they've sent at me, and I've killed one of the executives play things." Explained Tristan

"Play things?" asked Greg bewildered "I don't think I want to know what you used to do!"

"Good move." Said Tristan as he walked out of the van "now hurry up and check in before someone sees me. They have eyes everywhere."

"Hey shake a leg!" said the clerk at the desk as Tristan beat one of the hotel employees into the closet. "It's Mr. Greg! And he's here to spend his dough all over the town." Tristan grabbed the security camera in their room and ripped them all off.

"I must admit." Said Pearl

"You must admit." Said Greg and Steven

"It's a perfect fit." Said Pearl

"You look great in it!" said Greg and Steven

"And those fountains I found wasteful, are actually quite tasteful." Said Pearl as Tristan stabbed another employee and left his body on the roof "this city's got its charm, unlike that termite ridden barn. And anytime with Steven makes for a delightful evening."

"You're having fun!" said Greg

"More or less." Said Pearl

"So dance with me, just say…" said Greg

"No!" screamed Pearl as she looked up, embarrassed at the silence she created "I… I mean… mean, *sigh* maybe later." Pearl walked off towards the window.

"Damn." Said Tristan as he got off the stairs "that was harsh."

"Don't worry kiddo." Said Greg "It's always been that way."

Tristan sat on the railing as he looked over Empire city, his city. It was beautiful when you took away the raping in the alleyways. The murder on the streets, and the drugs in our homes. From up above, Empire city almost looked tolerable. Tristan's head snapped over to the noise near Steven and Greg's bed. Reaching for his gun before hearing Pearl's voice. "I was fine, with the men, who would come into her life now and again."

"What is she doing?" muttered Tristan as he leaned back on the railings.

"I was fine, cause I knew, that they didn't really matter, until you." Sung Pearl as she danced over to the balcony where Tristan was. "I was fine when you came, and we fought like it was all some silly game. Over her. Who she'd choose. After all those years, I never thought I'd lose. It's over, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it over? It's over, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it over? You won, and she chose you, and she loved you, and she's gone. It's over isn't it, why can't I move on?" Tristan stood up, surprised by the passion and beauty in her voice. Pearl jumped up on the railing, her rose in hand. "War and glory, reinvention. Fusion, freedom, her attention. Out in daylight, my potential. Bold, precise, experimental. Who am I now in this world without her? Petty and dull, with the nerve to doubt her. What does it matter, it's already done! Now I've got to be there for her son!" Tristan looked over at Steven, just now noticing that he was awake. "It's over, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it over? You won, and she chose you, and she loved you, and she's gone! It's over, isn't it? Why can't I move on?" Pearl walked into the room and gasps "Greg! You were…awake?"

"Nothing's gonna fix this." Said Greg as he put his coat on, walking out of the room.

"Greg!" said Pearl, but it was already too late.

"I'm sorry you had to be around me." Said Greg as he left.

"I shouldn't have come along." Said Pearl as Tristan walked in.

"No. This is exactly why I brought you." Said Steven as he took her out of the room. Leaving Tristan alone in the room.

Tristan walked back out to the balcony and looked over the side. His heart raced as he imagined what could happen next, if he jumped. "I could live, but I could also die." Tristan muttered to himself.

"You'd die." Said a man from above.

"I thought I felt eyes on me." Said Tristan turning around "but I never expected you to be those eyes. Kylar." Kylar jumped down from the roof and onto the balcony. I'd expect you to just kill me and be done with it. Just like I taught you, but I guess you still have a thick skull if your dumb enough to revel yourself like that."

"Don't be like that, I heard what you did to Evelyn. Goddamn it brutal, even for you. What on earth did you use?" asked Kylar as he casually leaned up against the wall.

"It wasn't from this world." Said Tristan, his red eyes level and cool.

"Oh, scary!" said Kylar as he pulled out a large knife. A grin on his face. "You see, you use to be the best. But after you gave us away to the executives, you disappeared. And during that time, there were many people whom gave me more than a few lessons on what you taught us. But there was a difference, they were better! They showed us the holes in your logic, your teachings. And I'm gonna prove to you that fear is not everything!"

Tristan laughed at the thought of Kylar doing anything right "Kylar, the day you kill me is the day the world ends. You have no idea what I've been through. I'm actually glad that you're here you know? And now that you're here. I can release some pent up frustration by gutting that mistake I made."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not quite yet. I just came by to say hi, if I were here to kill you, you'd already be dead." Said Kylar

"Doubt it."

"But soon enough I assure you. Soon enough I will make _you_ , the play thing." Kylar walked away, and out the same door Greg used.

"I'll be quivering with anticipation." Muttered Tristan as he turned back around, leaning his arms on the railing as he looked out at the now nightmarish hell of a city.


	23. Chapter 23

"No more killing!" said Garnet "you might have fooled the others, but I know. You can't kill anymore, you're a crystal gem. We've been through this."  
"They deserved it." Said Tristan  
"They didn't even hurt anyone!" said Garnet  
"Of course not." Said Tristan "I made sure that they couldn't."  
"What is wrong with you?"" asked Garnet "it's as if you need an excuse to kill. But you can't, the next time you do you're leaving. Gone. _Forever._ "  
"Should I pack up my things now?" asked Tristan as he walked to the warp pad.  
"You might as well." Spat Garnet at Tristan warped away.

"Are you okay?" asked Pearl "did you even here what I was saying."  
Tristan snapped to attention. "Sorry, I was just, remembering something."  
"Well now that you're paying attention, I was saying that you're finished." Tristan stared at Pearl.  
"Are you serious?" asked Tristan "it hasn't even been a full month!"  
"There's a week left, according to our original plan. But I've nothing left to teach you." Said Pearl shrugging it off.  
"B-But, but then…" said Tristan, trailing off. "But then I wouldn't have an excuse to see you." Whispered Tristan.  
"What was that?" asked Pearl.  
"It's nothing, just a thought." Said Tristan.  
"Care to share it?" asked Pearl, it was very, unlike her to pry in.  
"No." said Tristan bluntly "if there's no reason for me to be here then I'll leave."  
confident enough to fight me head on. The next ready to just up and leave when questioned. It's quite annoying frankly."  
"Agreed." Said Garnet  
"Garnet, when did you get here?" asked Pearl, spinning around to see her tall friend.  
"That doesn't matter." Said Garnet "what does matter, is that Tristan needs our help."  
"What?" said Pearl not quite comprehending what she meant.

"It's been awhile since you've said hi." Said Keith as he hobbled over to Tristan on his couch "and I'm quite bored all by myself."  
"Fuck off." Said Tristan "I'm not quite in the mood today."  
"You could've been more polite about it." Said Keith sitting down.  
"Fuck off, please." Said Tristan  
"Now that's more like it." Said Keith with a wide grin. Tristan scowled before finally cracking a smile.  
"Why do you always have this ability?" asked Tristan giggling a bit.  
"I've no idea what you're talking about." Said Keith turning the TV on.  
"You're about the only person able to put a smile on my face. Besides Steven of course, he's got it in his blood." Tristan relaxed a bit.  
"It's because you trust me." Said Keith.  
"True." Said Tristan "You're the only human I trust anymore."  
"What about that Steven kid?" asked Keith  
"He's a hybrid, like me." Tristan pulled his shirt down a bit. Showing off the blood-red Beryl in his hardened chest.  
"Damn." Said Keith "how'd he get off this, ah, Homeworld?"  
"He was born like this, on earth." Said Tristan "he's a natural. The first of our kind, as far as I can tell."  
"Are you ever gonna let me know about what happened to you." Said Keith "you're too distant."  
"Depends." Said Tristan  
"On what? Me?" asked Keith  
"No." said Tristan "Me."  
"Let me guess, your mood?" said Keith, confirming his answer with Tristan's nod. "You need to learn to not be so distant."  
"Any drugged or alcoholic items don't work on me. And I'm rapidly developing feelings that were put away when I began killing people. To say that I'm uncomfortable every day is an understatement."  
"What are you? A thirteen year old? You're eighteen, stop acting like a virgin whose hormones just started acting up." Said Keith.  
Tristan chuckled "you know, I wouldn't be surprised if my gem effected my emotions as well."

"So how're we gonna pull this off?" asked Steven.  
"Well we simply invite Tristan over for dinner and…" said Pearl  
"Force him to tell us all of his secrets!" said Amethyst, jumping on top of the counter.  
"We're not going to force him, and get off the counter! I just cleaned that!" scolded Pearl.  
"So why're we doing this?" asked Steven.  
"We need to get to know Tristan more so that he can effectively become a true part of this team." Said Garnet. But in reality, she wanted him vulnerable. Find the little cracks in his statue of pride and force it down.

 _"If we can make him look outside of the tunnel he sees the world in. Than we can find a way to stop him from killing!" said Garnet.  
"But breaking him down like that sounds horrible!" said Pearl "I didn't train him so that we could break him down into pile of broken rubble that doesn't have the will power to live."  
"It'll work, I promise." Said Garnet as she turned away._

"That makes sense!" said Steven.  
"But doesn't he have, like, a traumatic past or something?" asked Amethyst "I wasn't paying enough attention when I was eavesdropping on you guys."  
"He does, but he's yet to tell it to us. Face to face." Said Garnet "and there're a few things he has to confess."

"So what is the reason for this fancy dinner?" asked Tristan.  
"It's for you." Said Steven.  
"Last I checked I'm the last person here deserving of this." Said Tristan "so why is this happening?"  
"Well," said Pearl "because you did so well in training and even finished early. We've decided that you need some appreciation for everything you've ever done for us so far."  
"Thank you." Said Tristan, somewhat happy and confused. He battled with his curiosity for a moment. Trying to figure out as to why they would go to such lengths for him. Yet happy that they thought him deserving of a celebration. He hadn't had a celebration since his birthday, before the _incident_. "I'm quite, speechless."  
"Well of course you are dummy." Said Amethyst "it was a surprise."  
"Yes, and a surprise worth waiting for." Said Garnet as she turned off the lights. Exposing the lit candles in the dark. "Now, let's get this party started."

"A nice white dress shirt, tie and dress pants weren't such a good idea." Said Steven, sitting down next to Tristan in the sand. "How're you enjoying your party?"  
"I know, I'm a dumbass. But I wanted to show you guys how much this meant to me," said Tristan "it's been a very long time since I've had party like this."  
"But you were at my birthday party!" said Steven with his arms in the air.  
"I meant my own birthday party, or celebration." Said Tristan sipping his punch "it's a feeling that I'd forgotten about until now. It's nice, warm, like alcohol. But you never get hangovers."  
"I think I understand." Said Steven "it's like a bad thing that feels good. But this is a good thing that feels good!"  
"Sure," said Tristan "that's one hell of a way to put it but yeah. That's about right."  
"Hey, are you guys gonna get on the dance floor or what?" asked Amethyst as she jump on Tristan.  
"I could, but your ass is on my face!" screamed Tristan shoving Amethyst off him. "Besides, I prefer not to dance."  
"But why not?" asked Amethyst  
"Yeah, you were like this at my birthday party, why?" asked Steven "this party's for you. So why go out of your way to avoid it?"  
"I'm not avoiding my party, I just don't wish to participate in one of the many activity's." said Tristan.  
"Dancing is the only activity." Said Amethyst "besides eating."  
"There's swimming." Said Tristan "and that's next."  
"But dancing's now!" said Amethyst shaking around "and it's not going away until you dance with us. Garnet and Pearl said so."  
"Damn them." Said Tristan sitting up, losing his tie and unbuttoning two buttons on the top of his white shirt. "Let's just get this over with."

"Don't ever make me do that _ever_ again." Said Tristan as he stepped off the dance floor, basically a marked area of the beach.  
"Oh come on." Said Steven "you did great."  
"I shuffled around and looked like I was having a seizure." Said Tristan "and I fell over. I was a complete mess!"  
"Not to mention you embarrassed yourself in front of everyone." Said Amethyst  
"Shut the hell up!" screamed Tristan as he began taking off his shirt and tie.  
"Whoa!" said Amethyst "what the hell are you doing?"  
"You said we were swimming next." Said Tristan "so I'm getting ready."  
"Please don't take off your pants." Said Amethyst.  
"I wasn't gonna." Said Tristan, throwing his shirt to the side and showing off his muscles. "But I could if you want me to."  
"Um, no thanks." Said Amethyst blushing.  
"Alright, if you say so." Said Tristan as he stretched. Though his muscles weren't big, they still popped out. Lean and hard. "You guys ready?"  
"Actually, we were gonna wait until Steven got his energy back." Said Pearl stepping beside Amethyst "But you're welcome swim all you want."  
"I can swim any day I want. I'll just wait for you guys." Said Tristan.  
"If you say so." Said Pearl as she and Amethyst walked away.  
"Damn shame too." Said Tristan turning to face the water and sit on the hot sand "I wanted to see her in a bikini too."

"Are you talking about Pearl" asked Garnet.  
"You already know the answer." Said Tristan "so stop trying to break me."  
"I would never do that." Said Garnet sitting next to Tristan "It would ruin the teams effectiveness if I broke you. No, I just want you to be honest with yourself."  
"Then here's the truth," said Tristan "I wish I was dead."  
"What do you mean?" asked Garnet "this I very unlike you."  
"I should be saying that." Said Tristan "you're usually scolding me for killing someone. But now you sound like you care."  
"I do care." Said Garnet  
"About the Crystal gems." Said Tristan "I'm not one of you guys. I can't fit in. I grew up in despair and gang wars. Sure you've been in wars, but grew up in it. It's affected me to the point where I need to bring the war back so that everything I do makes sense. Right now I'm just some guy who's been a gem for a mere year or two. Confused and irrational, still becoming used to his surroundings and the people there. But when I find others from my life before, and when I step a foot into Empire city. I become the Blade of Empire city again, the Crimson Mask. You care about Steven, Pearl, Amethyst. The Crystal gems. I'm some guy mooching off your knowledge and happiness. And taking it away from you. You don't care about me, you care about how I affect the team, about how I affect everyone else but me."  
"I-I'm sure that you can still find a way to fit in." said Garnet, her future vision failing her. "A way to truly become a part of the team.  
"You said that I was a part of the team." Said Tristan "you're lying again."  
"What're you talking about?" asked Garnet, panicking.  
"You were pissed that I was killing people, but there's more to it. Isn't there?" said Tristan  
"I'm not quite sure what you're saying." Said Garnet  
"You're pissed that a monster like me ever even joined the team." Said Tristan "your mad that I've fallen for one of your own, and that you have no control over it."  
"You must be confused." Said Garnet "I've never felt this way about you, or anyone."  
But Tristan didn't stop. "You told me that if I killed one more person that I'd be forced to leave. But you know that I can't do that, you know that I'll have to leave at one point or another." Tristan looked over at Garnet "that I'll return to nothingness."

"You did it." Said Pearl "what did you say to him."  
"I-I, um." Garnet hesitated "I didn't say anything to him."  
"What?" said Pearl "but, you said that you'd be able to help him."  
"It wasn't him that needed helping." Garnet removed her glasses, tears threatening to flow down her face "it was me that needed help."  
"What are you talking about?" asked Pearl  
"I was unconsciously doing the wrong things." Said Garnet "unbeknownst to myself, holding a grudge that I never knew existed." Garnet walked into the burning room. "I need, some time alone."  
"Well that was dramatic." Said Amethyst "what were you guys trying to do?"  
"It's not polite to eaves drop." Said Pearl "and get off that counter, I'm not telling you again!"

"How was your party?" asked Keith as Tristan walked in "and why's your hair wet?"  
"I went swimming." Said Tristan walking up the light house "I need some thinking time."  
"If you need a human, I'll be down here. Broken, lonely, hungry." Said Keith  
"Oh please shut up." Said Tristan  
"Let me guess, take out?" asked Keith  
"There's money in the kitchen." Said Tristan walking up the stairs.

 **Hey, I finally got this shit done, surprise! But really, schools a bitch so please be patient while I struggle to do both. I enjoy doing this instead of my homework, so don't expect this to be stopping anytime soon. But don't expect this to be undated everyday like it used to. I'll try to upload once a week, but I'm sorry if it doesn't end up like that. Thank you for everybody who reads this story, it means a lot to me.**


	24. Chapter 24

Tristan looked throughout the archives of Beryl's memories. Her thoughts, her feelings, her knowledge. Tristan looked at her memories of her friends, they were smiling, laughing. Almost like they were, human. Tristan played her countless memories of them in his mind. They were strong, happy, emotional, caring. It was heart breaking, it was his fault that Beryl had to die. That she had to leave them behind for his sorry ass. Tristan felt tears flow down his face and drip onto the floor as the world around him dissolved and he woke up.

"You're crying." Said Keith as he hobbled over to the fridge.  
"Shut up." Said Tristan, wiping the tears away and getting off the couch.  
"Do you have to sleep there?" asked Keith, pulling out a carton of juice "you have a bed down stairs right"  
"It's more like a weapons room now." Said Tristan walking over to the kitchen "give me that." Said Tristan, grabbing the juice and glass out of Keith's hand. "It's painful to watch you struggle with this."  
"Thank you." Said Keith taking the glass of juice from Tristan.  
"No problem." Said Tristan helping Keith over to the couch "but this is great timing."  
"Why?" asked Keith, sipping on his juice, eyebrows raised.  
"When I went to Empire city with Steven, Greg, and Pearl. I ran into someone even more dangerous than Evelyn." Said Tristan "It's Kylar."  
"And you killed him." Said Keith.  
"No." said Tristan, making Keith spill the juice everywhere.  
"Are you shitting me?" screamed Keith "why the fuck didn't you?"  
"Didn't feel like it." Said Tristan  
"We're fucked." Said Keith "no, let me rephrase that. I'm fucked, I'm human!"  
"You'll be fine." Said Tristan walking to the basement door "just wait until you see this."  
"I'm gonna die." Said Keith "If Evelyn could find me that easily. Kylar could walk right in, without any of us noticing!"  
"Stop whining like a little bitch," Said Tristan as he threw five duffle bags onto the coffee table. "and look in all of those bags."  
"Holy shit!" said Keith as he picked the Harrington and Richardson 20 gage shotgun "You have one of these!"  
"Found it in a barn." Said Tristan "look in the other bags."  
"Where did you get this shit?" asked Keith as he pick up rifles, pistols, revolvers and…. "You have a mother fucking rocket launcher!"  
"I've added a bit to my collection." Said Tristan grinning.  
"A bit?" said Keith "this is way more than a bit. You have military grade weapons. How did you even…actually you know what, I don't even want to know. But why do you have these?"  
"They're for you." Said Tristan grabbing two Berettas with silencers "except for these two. These are mine until I'm buried underground."  
"But why do you have so many guns for me?" asked Keith "seems a bit impractical."  
"Kylar might come after you when I'm not around." Said Tristan "and you're fucked up enough from Evelyn. So just lay back and wait for Kylar to show up and shoot his balls off."  
"It won't be that easy." Said Keith grabbing a cigarette.  
"It's never gonna be that easy." Said Tristan slapping the light out of Keith's hand. "And take that shit outside, or else I'll tell Dr. Maheswaran."  
"No need to take it that far." Said Keith putting the cigarette back. "Knowing that someone's trying to kill you while you're stuck in one place isn't exactly stress free."  
"True." Said Tristan "I'll help you outside, but give a cigarette. I've been needing one too recently."  
"Deal." Said Keith getting up.

Tristan let the rain slap against his bare skin. Making his hair slick and his body cold. But Tristan didn't care, he wanted to stay out a while longer. His cigarette had been long burnt out, but he still stayed outside. He needed a place to be truly alone, and a muddy cliff in the dark was perfect. He breathed in the salty sea breeze and looked down at Beach City. Tristan looked over at Greg's car wash, and saw Steven and Connie fusing! "Since when was that possible!" said Tristan as he saw them get in a car and drive off. "Ok, now I'm confused and curious." Tristan got up and sprinted towards the cars direction. "Fuck, why are they going so fast?" Tristan couldn't run any faster, it almost hurt to. "Dammit!" Tristan jumped and landed on top of their car, causing it to swerve. Tristan opened the car door and jumped in.  
"Tristan, is that you?" asked Stevonnie.  
"You bet your ass it is." Said Tristan combing his slick white hair back. "Now, would you like to tell me what two kids are doing driving a car? Also, since when could you two fuse?"  
"Uh, we've been able to fuse since before your arrival." Said Stevonnie "Wait, how did you find us?"  
"I can see your dad's car wash from my house." Said Tristan.  
"Oh." Said Stevonnie "so why did you follow us? Are you worried about us crashing the car?"  
"Why would I give a damn?" asked Tristan "I just needed an excuse to leave the house."  
"Is that why you scared us by jumping on the car?" asked Stevonnie  
"Sorry about that." Said Tristan "But you guys were driving like crazy. Do you know how fast you were going? Even I couldn't catch up."  
"Sorry about that." Said Stevonnie, looking ahead at the road with a look of anger "but we need to meet someone."  
Tristan frowned "Leave that kind of stuff to me."  
"What?" asked Stevonnie  
"Leave the killing to me." Said Tristan "or else the gems will think I'm rubbing off you."  
"What!" said Stevonnie "Steven, this is what you meant by he did bad stuff?"  
"Shit!" said Tristan as Stevonnie began glowing, threating to defuse. Tristan grabbed the wheel and jerked the car to the side. Causing it to stop. Steven and Connie unfused and looked at Tristan.  
"Why'd you tell her?" asked Steven  
"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Connie  
"I didn't want you to be scared of Tristan." Said Steven looking down  
"But he kills people." Said Connie "takes their lives away forever. I don't think you understand how big of a deal this is Steven."  
"I do understand!" said Steven "but he's nice. He would never hurt us! He cares about us!"  
"Somewhat." Said Tristan  
"See!" said Connie "he doesn't care!"  
"That was a joke." Said Tristan  
"Then why isn't anyone laughing?" asked Connie  
"My sense of humor is much darker than yours." Said Tristan "trust me, you guys probably wouldn't understand."  
"Guys! Can we please talk about this later?" Said Steven "we need to get to Kevin!"  
"Who's Kevin?" asked Tristan

"I'll race you!" said Stevonnie as she and Tristan walked out of the car.  
"Huh?" said Kevin as he looked over at Stevonnie and Tristan.  
Tristan got a good look at Kevin. Rich, smug look, expensive clothes, expensive car, horrible haircut. Tristan already hated the bastard.  
"Ha!" said Kevin "so that's why I knew those two brats at the car wash-They're you! Your whole 'two kids in a beautiful trench coat' routine won't fool me this time, so don't even try it."  
"You don't know what you're talking about." Said Stevonnie as she slammed her hand on the hood of the car "I'll show you what I'm made of when I beat you at this race."  
"Heh, I see what's going on here." Said Kevin  
"Do you?" asked Stevonnie with narrow eyes.  
"You've had a taste of the Kevin," said Kevin "and now your obsessed."  
Stevonnie gritted her teeth and squinted "…What?"  
"I get it. I have that effect on people." Said Kevin with a shrug "it's cute. But aren't I a little old for you?"  
Tristan pulled out one of his Berettas and pointed it at Kevin "Can I shoot this bastard yet?"  
"No!" said Stevonnie as Kevin proceeded to piss himself. "If you do I'll tell Garnet."  
"What if you never saw it?" asked Tristan  
"What?" screamed Stevonnie.  
Tristan smirked as he put his Beretta away "just kidding."  
"Gah!" said Stevonnie looking back at Kevin "do you want to race or not?"  
Kevin calmed down a bit and looked at Tristan with rage before looking back at Stevonnie like he never had a gun pulled on him. "The start is at the top of the mountain. We go when the clock hit's the hour. Frist one to the bottom wins." Kevin smiled like a bitch at Stevonnie "but you don't have to worry about the last part."  
"Ah!" growled Stevonnie as Kevin speeded up the hill. "that guy is going down."

"So, uh, hi." Said Ronaldo.  
"Hey." Said Tristan, focused on the race.  
"Are those two Berettas with silencers?" asked Ronaldo reaching for them.  
"What's it to you?" asked Tristan grabbing them before Ronaldo could touch them and threw them into the dirt, where he couldn't see them  
"I just, really wanted to hold them." Said Ronaldo "please?"  
"No." said Tristan turning his attention back to the race.  
"But, those are illegal!" said Ronaldo "and I just really want to feel like a badass for once."  
"Are you serious?" asked Tristan  
"Do I look like I'm joking?" asked Ronaldo  
"Just take this and go." Said Tristan tossing a cigarette at Ronaldo. "You're distracting me." Ronaldo walked off, gawking at the cigarette as if it were the Holy Grail.  
"Yo Tristan!." Said Jenny "can I have one?"  
"Excuse me?" asked Tristan  
"Can I have a cigarette?" asked Jenny "I saw you hand one to Ronaldo."  
"That was to get him away from me." Said Tristan, trying to pay attention to the stopped Dondai.  
"Oh come on." Said Jenny in a whinny voice "I'll leave you alone after this."  
"I'm not a vending machine." Said Tristan "go flirt with Ronaldo if you want it so badly."  
"No thank you." Said Jenny walking off, irritated. "All you had to do was give me one!" muttered Jenny as Tristan tuned her out. Focusing on the now moving Dondai. Tristan gritted his teeth as he saw Kevin's car dart ahead of Stevonnie's car. Tristan went to grab his beretta's but he'd thrown them in the dirt, and he couldn't find them.  
"Shit." Said Tristan as Kevin stepped out of his car.  
"What? What?" asked Kevin, taunting the crowd "That's right! Frist place baby! It's like I invented winning."  
Tristan began walking over to Kevin but stopped when he saw Stevonnie holding out her hand to him. "Good race."  
"You trying to kiss my hand with your hand or something?" asked Kevin, looking suspiciously at Stevonnie's hand.  
"You know Kevin," said Stevonnie "you were right."  
"I know." Said Kevin scoffing "about what?"  
"The view from the mountain." Said Stevonnie " _was_ pretty great."  
"Hey!" said Kevin, agitated "don't try to teach me a lesson! You lost!"  
"Second place isn't so bad." Said Stevonnie turning and waking towards the car "for my first time driving a car!" Stevonnie turned on the car and pulled up to Tristan "get in."  
"Just a sec." said Tristan wiping the dirt off the guns before jumping in "aright, let's go."  
"Look at you." Yelled Kevin, pissed off and annoyed. "You're so obsessed with me that you're driving away!" Stevonnie just ignored him while Tristan began unscrewing a silencer on one of his Berettas. "Fine! Go play with some kiddy toy cars! I could beat you at that too!" Stevonnie just looked at Kevin through the rear view mirror. "Don't forget, you're obsessed with me! Obsessed! Obses-" Tristan shot his Beretta without a silencer at Kevin. Obviously missing, but none the less scaring the shit out of him."  
"Will you stop that!" screamed Stevonnie.  
"Sorry." Said Tristan reattaching the silencer with a smile on his face. "But he really needs to learn how to shut the absolute fuck up."


	25. Chapter 25

_"It's hard to breathe." Said the boy as Tristan put more pressure on his back.  
"Good." Was all Tristan said. The boy screamed, more and more until his back was completely bruised.  
"Why do I have to do this?" Whined the boy "it hurts."  
"You said that you wanted to be stronger." Said Tristan grabbing needles. "In order for me to do that I need to dull your sense of pain."  
"But, it hurts so bad." Said the boy, now sobbing.  
"It's meant to." Said Tristan inserting needles into the boys hand.  
"I hate you!" screamed the boy.  
"Good." Said Tristan calmly. "Block everyone out, leave no emotions intact. Feel hate, or feel nothing. I will not allow anything else. Now, Kylar. Let me make you into something, magnificent" Tristan smiled as Kylar's screams echoed throughout the house._

 _"Again!" screamed Tristan as Kylar rushed towards him with a knife. He chopped at him sloppily, Tristan kicking the boy to the ground and making another shallow cut with his knife. "We're not dancing! We're making corpses! No special spinning, jumping, or kicks! We're making corpses, not dancing!"_

 _"Rub the needle on the man's leg." Said Tristan handing the object to Kylar "this is contact poison. So you don't even have to stab him with it." Kylar took the needle without hesitation and headed into the thick crowd. He saw Kylar's head pop in and out of the crowd before disappearing completely. Tristan waited for ten minutes before Kylar appeared before him in the alley way. "That took too long. It should've been less than two minutes, so what made you take ten minutes?"  
"I was looking for the culprit." Said Kylar  
"What?" asked Tristan  
"I said, I was looking for the culprit." Said Kylar with a smirk.  
Tristan smiled menacingly "Who'd you frame?"  
"Some women that I didn't like." Said Kylar.  
"Any particular reason why?" asked Tristan  
"She tried to take my kill." Said Kylar.  
"So you made her take the fall." Said Tristan, chuckling a little.  
"She wanted to kill him herself." Said Kylar "so why not let her get the credit."  
"You're getting good." Said Tristan as Kylar began walking to the car "Too good. That means one day I'll have to kill you."_

"Are you ready?" asked Tristan as he barged into the beach house with his bag.  
"Ready for what?" asked Steven as he closed the refrigerator door.  
"Remember when I said that I'd take you to a five star restaurant that's not in Empire City?" said Tristan grabbing Steven's hamburger backpack. "Well I finally found one. But it's quite far away from here. So we're gonna take a bus."  
"But what about the gems?" asked Steven "won't they need us?"  
"They already know." Said Tristan tossing Steven his bag. "That's why I can barge in here and take you with me."  
"But I would expect them to protest against this." Said Steven putting his clothes in the bag.  
"They did, until I told them that you really wanted this." Said Tristan, Steven following him out the door. "Until I told them about my possible end nearing." Muttered Tristan.

"I need to talk to you." Said Tristan walking up to Greg, who was clearly uncomfortable. "I understand that you don't trust me, and that's good."  
"What?" said Greg, surprised.  
"I've overstayed my welcome here." Said Tristan "It's about time I stop bringing my problems to you all."  
"A-Are you leaving?" asked Greg.  
"Yes." Said Tristan "but Steven doesn't know that. And I plan to have it stay that way."  
"But, why?" asked Greg "I hate to admit it. But ever since you've come along, he's been really happy."  
"Please don't make this any harder than it is." Said Tristan "I'll probably come back when I destroy my old life. That is if I'm myself."  
"Huh?" said Greg, even more confused.  
"Steven must never know this conversation happened." Said Tristan walking away "and neither should the gems."  
"Hey!" said Greg "are you going against the Gem's? That's a really bad idea!"  
Tristan smirked to himself as he and Steven got on the bus "I know."

"This place is amazing." Whispered Steven "I feel like I should raise my pinky whenever I drink."  
"Please don't do that." Said Tristan chuckling "that'd be embarrassing."  
"So why're we doing this so suddenly?" asked Steven "I was pretty sure that you'd plan this out with me."  
"I wanted to surprise you." Said Tristan pushing his plate away. "I knew that this was important to you."  
"All tasty foods are important to me." Said Steven with a large smile on his face. A smile that Tristan wouldn't see for a while.  
"Steven." Said Tristan "I need you to follow me."  
"Why?" asked Steven.  
"Just do it." Said Tristan with a smile on his face. "It's the biggest surprise yet."  
"Really?!" asked Steven following Tristan to the back of the restaurant. "Wait! Garnet…?" Tristan hit Steven in the back of the head. Knocking him out cold.  
"Why'd you have to be so rough with him?" asked Garnet picking up Steven.  
"Why do their have to be so many questions?" asked Tristan as he lit a cigarette.  
"You shouldn't do that." Said Garnet.  
"It doesn't affect me." Said Tristan taking a long draft of his cigarette. "Plus it's nice."  
"It's not that it doesn't affect you." Said Garnet getting ready to leap "it just takes an unbelievable amount to cigarettes for it to affect you."  
"Great." Said Tristan tossing the cigarette into a puddle. "At least you told me before I died."  
"When will you be back?" asked Garnet. "He'll miss you, you know?"  
"If all goes well, I'll be back in a month." Tristan sighed and looked at his phone before looking at the red car in the parking lot. "If I die, than keep lying to Steven."  
"Why must you be so dramatic about this?" asked Garnet.  
"Because it's believable." Said Tristan, looking over at Steven. His red eyes softening at the sight of him. "He knows that I'm a terrible person. So he'll think that I just left."  
"Please be careful." Said Garnet, give Tristan a slight hug.  
"Stop making this so difficult." Said Tristan hugging her back.  
"Do you want me to tell her? About how you feel?" asked Garnet, removing her glasses.  
"I don't want to play with her feelings." Said Tristan. "She just reminds me so much of…her."  
"What's with you and Pearl's?" asked Garnet.  
Tristan chuckled. "Don't ask me." Tristan began walking towards the car. "I just fell in love with one. And before I knew it, another started playing with my heart."

"Took you long enough." Said Keith. Rubbing his neck as he put a few guns down. "You say your goodbyes?"  
Tristan said nothing as he grabbed his two Beretta's and slid them into the holsters underneath his armpits. Sliding his brand new black and red coat on. The ends slapping against the back of his knees and the sleeves sticking to his arms perfectly. Tristan looked at his appearance in the mirror, he always had a flare for the dramatic. And to him, there was no such thing as overdoing it. "What's with and the color red?" Asked Keith "that's the only color you refuse to take off."  
"It reminds me of the thing I remember most, something that follows me wherever I go. So instead of trying to run away from it, I embraced it." Tristan looked over at Keith, his eyes sparkling with rage. "It reminds me of blood. My blood."


	26. Chapter 26

Tristan felt the flesh underneath his hands go limp as he dropped the dead body off the roof. "Sometimes I wonder how you can stomach these things." Said Keith wiping blood from his knife and gun.  
"I can't." said Tristan. "I just stomach my humanity until it's all over."  
"Oh really? And how do you do that?"  
"It's easy, I just don't stay human." Tristan looked at Empire city, and he hoped it would be the last time he had too.  
"I swear, sometime I can't take you seriously." Keith rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at the glare from those red eyes that dripped with poison. "No! Wait! It's just because I don't understand how you do it."  
"Sometimes I don't either." Tristan looked over the side and saw some men running up the stairs. Covered in blood and bodies. "Hand me a grenade."  
"You used the last one, remember?"  
"Nope." Said Tristan turning and walking to the door. "Give me a bit, there're a few left." Tristan pressed up against the wall, his Beretta pointed at the corner. He waited for what felt like an eternity, something was off. He was sure that the men he saw were running. So what was taking them so long? Tristan saw a sliver of movement and fired. Turning the corner he saw two masked men. He kicked the closest one down the stairs and pointed his gun at the second one. His gun was shot out of his hand and he felt he right leg go limp as he was shot by the person down the stairs. He grabbed the second _man_ and tackled him down the stairs. Tristan landed on his back, knocking the wind out of him. He stood up and saw the person he'd kicked down the stairs attempt to reach the roof. Tristan summoned his pedals and made a wall, blacking the man's way. The second _man_ stabbed at Tristan, grabbing the knife and breaking the man's wrist. Tristan tossed the _man_ into the wall of pedals and heard nothing more than a high pitched screech.  
"Nora!" Screamed the man.  
"Nora?" asked Tristan as he kicked the masked man into the wall. "You mean _my_ Nora?"  
"She's not yours bastard!" screamed the man.  
"Well, it's been awhile Michal. How've you been?" Tristan kicked Michal in the groin before dissipating the wall of pedals and dragging him to the roof. "Keith! Look at what I found!" Tristan stopped dead in his tracks and dropped Michal, who was still moaning about his crushed genitals. "You've got to be fucking with me."  
"Would you mind helping me?" asked Keith as another masked man had Keith pressed up against the floor with a knife to his neck.  
"Give me Michal and Nora, and the old man's free." Said the masked man.  
"Jesse, do you think I'm that stupid?" asked Tristan, kicked Michal's head with his full force.  
Jesse froze as Michal's head came off, flying straight at him. He grabbed Michal's head before feeling an intense, hot, pain in his gut. Jesse dropped the head as he grabbed the hole in his stomach, created by Tristan's crimson pedals. "This is what I wasted my time on?" asked Tristan as Jesse looked limply up at Tristan's scowling face. "I spend years on training you people, and look at you! You were never meant for this world Jesse." Tristan stood up "*Tsk* Always was the soft one." Jesse gasped a few more times before his eyelids became too heavy for him, and he closed them forever.

"What was that?" asked Keith as he followed Tristan down the stairs of the humongous building.  
"Incompetent apprentices." Said Tristan opening the last down and walking outside.  
"Why did you kill Michal? You could've gotten me killed!"  
"I know Jesse." Tristan got in the car. "He was a soft one, first and only one to cry after his first kill."  
"But he could've changed! Killed me right then and there!"  
"Yes, he could've." Tristan turned on the car. "But he didn't."  
"Why do I feel like you're enjoying this."  
"Of course I'm enjoying this." Tristan began heading towards their main base of operations. "I'm taking away what's most precious to them. And getting rid of past mistakes."  
"Typical response." Keith, checking his guns before relaxing. "This had been a long ass week."  
"Yeah, I expected it to take way longer. But then again, they've changed."  
"Yeah." Said Keith before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

"Well what a pleasant surprise." Said the Executives as they looked at Tristan, walking in, covered in blood. "Where were you for a year?"  
"In space." Said Tristan, wiping the blood off his coat. "Trust me, it's beautiful up there. When you're not getting the shit beaten out of you. And no, I'm not high." Said Tristan, interrupting the executives.  
"I, I would never have expected you to have such a creative mind." Said Azoth, leaning back. "Truly exotic."  
"It's more chaotic than exotic. With ten or more Amethyst's jabbing at you, it's like a never ending pain." Said Tristan, walking towards them all. "So, how would you like to die?"  
"That should be our line." Said Aaron, leaning forward. "I'm, or should I say we, are truly surprised that you can do any of this."  
"It's wasn't that hard." Tristan shot Azoth in the shoulder. "Please do get the fuck away from that button. And Hearn!" The third executive froze in his seat. "Put that gun down, it's offensive."  
Aaron laughed "Again, you surprise us. You knew exactly what we were doing. Amazing! No wonder you were the best."  
"Still am." Said Tristan. "That'll never change."  
"I wouldn't say that." Said Aaron, standing up. "I know that you won't like to hear this, but Kylar has far surpassed you."  
Tristan's eye twitched. "Funny joke." Aaron walked up to Tristan.  
"It's true." Aaron put his arm on Tristan's shoulder. "You've seen through all of their plans to kill you, but you haven't seen through mine. Or should I say, Kylar's." Tristan grabbed Aaron by the throat and threw him across the room. "Your friends should be dead by now." Tristan screamed, making the executives laugh. Until they saw the pedals bleeding from Tristan. Their screams of fear and pain were drowned out by the blood of all of Tristan's victims.  
Tristan looked at his pedals. "For those who love to rape, rape! For those who love to torture, do whatever the fuck you want! But if you can, don't kill them. And if you do, make sure it's the slowest and most painful thing in the world. Something that would even make me throw up!" Tristan left the room full of his pedals, left to do whatever they wanted to the executives. "And if Kylar values his sanity, he'd make sure not to touch Steven, or the Gems!"


	27. Chapter 27

Tristan stormed into the beach house. Boots covered in sand and clothes soaking wet. His lungs burned as he took notice of everything in the room. Tristan's whole body tensed up as he looked at the broken window by Steven's bed, and blood covering the sheets. Tristan searched for any signs of where Kylar could have gone, and saw a note under the bloodied sheets. Picking it up, Tristan read the note with raw anger and jumped out the broken window. "Like hell you're gonna be doing that to Steven. Nobody can kill my friends, I won't allow that."

Lapis flew around the sea; it was beautiful at this time of night. The moon reflecting off the water. The sound of the waves hitting the rocks was like music. Perfectly orchestrated with the sound of blood dripping in the water-. "What is that?!" said Lapis out loud as she flew by the beach cliffs. There she saw a body. Upside down, head in the water. "Why is this here?" Lapis turned towards the sound of maniacal laughter, and Tristan with some man! Tristan screamed as he shoved his arm through the man's shoulder, knocking him unconscious. Before jumping off with the body. Lapis flew over to the body, untying the rope and setting the body on the sand. "…Why does this boy have Steven's clothes?" Lapis got up before flying over to the temple. "I need to tell the others of what happened here."

Tristan inserted another needle under Kylar's finger nail. Kylar's screams even reached outside the lighthouse. "Is it me? Or have you gotten better at this?" Tristan said nothing, his face black as he moved on to his feet. "He's already dead, you gain nothing from this! Just kill me." Tristan, very painfully and slowly, pried Kylar's toenails off. One. By. One. Kylar screamed as his tears fell down his face. "It would be much more satisfying if you just sliced my throat!" Tristan grabbed razor blades and slowly inserted them into the bloody holes where his toenails use to be. Kylar passed out from the pain, but Tristan didn't even notice as he finished shoving each razor blade into his toe. Tristan waited for Kylar to make a comment, but he didn't. He looked up at the bastard, slapping him roughly when he noticed that he was unconscious. Kylar woke up, his entire body ached.  
"You don't deserve sleep." Said Tristan. His voice gruff and dripping with poison. Kylar shuddered, even he was scared of his, former, master's voice. "I'll make sure you die of lack of sleep, starvation, blood loss, or until your heart gives out. You don't deserve a lick of sleep, that's a pleasure you don't get here. In my turf, in my world." Kylar pissed his pants, he was terrified. He'd made a mistake. Tristan wasn't gonna kill him! He was gonna play with him! Just like all those years ago. But this time, there was no reason for Tristan to stop. Kylar cried, and sobbed. Begging for forgiveness.  
"It wasn't even him!" sobbed Kylar. I couldn't find him, so I killed a random boy and put him in his clothes!"  
"Bullshit." Said Tristan as he pulled out some barbed wire. "Even if that were true, I don't care anymore. This is something you get for getting too cocky." Kylar cried and screamed as Tristan roughly wrapped the barbed wire around Kylar's eyes. And pulled!

"What!" said Pearl  
"So someone put someone's corpse in Steven's clothes and Tristan ran off with the guy?" asked Amethyst.  
"Yes!" said Lapis. "I saw it a few hours ago!"  
"But why would someone do that?" asked Steven "I thought Tristan left for good!"  
"That was the plan." Said Garnet.  
"Garnet?" asked Pearl. "Is there something you're not telling us?"  
"I-I shouldn't say." Said Garnet. "We made a promise."  
"Garnet!" said Steven. "Someone faked my death and Tristan's mad. This is bad! We need to find him."  
"Yeah." Said Amethyst.  
"A monster like him could do something really, really bad." Said Lapis.  
"Alright." Said Garnet as she walked outside. "Let's start with his lighthouse." Garnet walked outside before stopping. "Oh, and Lapis. Don't call him a monster."

"I think I see a car!" said Steven.  
"He doesn't own a car!" said Garnet as everyone entered the house.  
"What's that sound?" asked Amethyst as they heard screaming and banging downstairs.  
"It's coming from downstairs!" said Pearl as they ran down the stairs.  
"Open up!" screamed Keith. "Tristan!"  
"Who's this?" asked Amethyst, making Keith turn around.  
"Are you they girls Tristan doesn't shut up about?" asked Keith.  
"Yup." Said Garnet. "What's going on?"  
"Well we were about to kill-, finish the job." Keith looked nervously at Steven. "But I feel asleep and I when I woke up. The job was done and Tristan was nowhere to be found! So I drove back here and this is the result!"  
"So what's he doing?" asked Lapis as screams came from the room.  
"Crystal gems!" said Garnet. "Smash that door!"

Tristan got done ripping Kylar's tongue out as everyone rushed through the broken door. Tristan looked at everyone, his crimson eyes even making Garnet flinch.  
"Reinforcements?" said Kylar. "Your so fucked!" But it was incomprehensible to everyone else. Tristan inserted his hand into Kylar's flesh and grabbed his spine.  
"Don't come any closer, or I pull his spine out faster than you can shoot me." Said Tristan. And Garnet's future vision showed that he wasn't joking.  
"Just calm down." Said Pearl, gagging at the sight. "We-we're just trying to help."  
"If you want to help, the doors that way." Said Tristan.  
"Stop this right now!" said Garnet. "I thought you were gonna give up this life when destroyed them! I thought you weren't gonna hurt Steven."  
"It's a little late for that now." Said Tristan, poison practically spewing out of his mouth. "He's already dead!"  
"No I'm not!" said Steven from the other room. "I'm right here!" Tristan froze, he was stuck.  
"Steven?" whispered Tristan. Kylar took this opportunity to jerk his back, forcing his spine to snap. "No!" Screamed Tristan as Kylar's limp body fell on the floor.  
"W-what's happening?" asked Steven.  
"Don't go in their kid." Said Keith as he pulled Steven up the stairs. "Not I want to look at that. How about we go get you some milk?"  
"Tristan…" said Pearl.  
"What. Just. Happened." Asked Amethyst.  
"What's been happening my whole life." Said Tristan as he leaned against the wall and slide down to the floor before sobbing. Garnet put her hand on Tristan's shoulder. "I should've checked the body!" said Tristan. "I should've done that!"  
"What's wrong with him." Muttered Lapis as she walked away. "I'm leaving." But no paid her any attention as she flew away. Everyone was focused on Tristan, and his crumpled up body. Exhausted and sobbing until his passed out next to Kylar's dead body. Their eyes the exact same. Empty and tired of living.

Tristan sat at the edge of the cliff, a coffee in hand. The sunset was beautiful, the same couldn't be said for Tristan. His hair was greasy, he hadn't changed out of his clothes from last night. And he stank of blood, not to mention covered in it. "Hey." He turned to see Pearl behind him. "Mind if I sit here?" Tristan just patted the spot of grass right next to him and turned back to the sunset. They sat there in silence for a bit, it was nice. After a night full of emotions, it was nice to not think. "Garnet told me." Tristan just shrugged.  
"Bound to happen." Said Tristan.  
"And you're ok with it?" asked Pearl, surprised.  
"Are _you_ ok with this." Said Tristan. "I'm a bastard who feel in love with two different women at the same time. The way I act and the way I feel are completely different. You have feeling for a dead person and I have feelings for someone millions of galaxies away. You just remind me so much of them that I couldn't help but fall for you. In a way I'm using you, so. _Are_ you okay with this?"  
Pearl stared at Tristan. He felt his heart beat faster, he wanted to kiss her so badly. But of course he didn't show it, instead staring back at her. "I, don't know." Pearl finally said. "I'm not sure about how I feel about you."  
"That's a good thing." Said Tristan. "If I could give you any advice, it's to stay emotionally detached from me. Because the closer you get to me, the more you'll realize how much of a mistake it was." Before Pearl could respond, Tristan got up and walked back inside. "Because if anyone's should know, it's Beryl."

"How'd it go?" asked Garnet.  
"Yeah! Did you guys kiss?" asked Amethyst.  
"Amethyst!" said Pearl with a blush. "No, we did not. But he did take it quite well."  
"That's good." Said Amethyst. "Right?"  
Garnet frowned. "I'll be honest, I don't know. He's an enigma."  
"I think he likes it that way." Said Steven. "Also, what's an enigma?"  
"Oh, Steven." Said Amethyst giggling.  
"Oh Amethyst, you've hardly any right to laugh at Steven. You don't know what an enigma is either." Said Pearl.  
Amethyst shrugged. "True."

Garnet walked into the burning room, trying to find something. Anything, that hinted about Tristan's future being happy. But it was full of nothing but soul crushing sadness. Just like normal. "Tell me how." Said Garnet. "How can you deal with this?" But she already knew what he would say to her. _'I'm used to it.'_

 **Sorry for the inconsistent uploads, but school sucks shit right now. And the fact that I'm doing this instead of my homework scares me. But also makes me happy. Thank you for waiting and reading this. It might take a while before something new and original pops up, so please be patient.**


	28. Chapter 28

"I'm starting to guess the surprise, Steven." Said Lapis as she continued to walk towards the boat. Her eyes peeking through her water wings.  
"I told you to close your eyes!" Said Steven as he continued to push her forward.  
"Sorry!" said Lapis as she giggled and closed her eyes.  
"Surprise!" said Greg and Steven as Lapis opens her eyes. Showing her the large yacht in the water.  
"Hm." Said Lapis, her lips pushed together.  
"We bought a boat!" said Steven.  
"Uh, correction." Said Greg. "We _rented_ a boat. I may be rich, but buying a boat would be going a bit _overboard_.  
"Why must you make puns!" asked Tristan as he emerged from the boat. Wearing shorts and a tank top. "They're like, the worst kind of jokes you can make!"  
"Uh, why is _he_ here?" asked Lapis.  
"What's wrong?" Asked Tristan with a devilish grin. "Can't stand monsters?" Lapis opened her mouth in protest but Tristan walked away before she could! "Tell me when we're going, I'll be reading my book."  
"I'm not sure I can go." Said Lapis frowning slightly.  
"Oh come on! Please!" said Steven. "Look, I know you've spent a really long time underwater fused with Jasper. But you're not Malachite anymore! You're Lapis! And water's a part of you. You can't let one bad experience take that away from you!"  
"It was more than one." Said Lapis looking away. "And water isn't the only problem…" Lapis stared at the water.  
"Just give it a chance. I promise we'll make this the most fun you've ever had." Said Steven.  
"Steven, I… Don't deserve this." Said Lapis  
"Yes you do!" shouted Tristan from the boat.  
"Yeah, what Tristan said!" said Steven. "Look, we even named her Li'l Lappy!" Lapis looked over at Greg as he gave thumbs up. Not noticing the paper peeling away. Revealing the boats real name. The S.S Misery.  
Lapis snorted a laugh. "Okay, I'll give a chance. But, just once." Lapis picked up Steven, flying him over to the boat. Making him giggle and laugh.  
"You three ready to set sail?" asked Greg from the speaker.  
"Aye, aye." Said Steven.  
"Yes." Said Lapis.  
"Sure." Said Tristan plugging head phones in and picking up him book.  
Greg honks the horn. "Full speed ahe- Whoa!" Screamed Greg as he tore a chunk of wood from the docks. "Ah, geez, you think anyone will notice?" Lapis looked over at Tristan. He looked so relaxed! A book, a drink, and some headphones. Tristan looked up, and smiled at Lapis, before turning his attention back to his large book.  
"What was that about?" muttered Lapis a Tristan took a sip of his drink.

Tristan read his book, chill-pop playing in the background. It was relaxing, not traumatizing and covered in blood. Just something simple. With the waves in his peripheral vision, it was so nice. Tristan saw a shadow come over him, blocking the sun. He looked up to see Lapis staring at him. He chuckled and went back to his book, noticing Steven as well as they both sat in the other lounge chairs. Steven was sun tanning and Lapis was, well, trying. Staring out at the sea and occasionally glancing at Tristan. Catching each other's eyes every now and then. It was odd. Not only was she uneasy by him and the ocean. There was something, else. Like she felt something, like she knew about something bad that we didn't know. Like the cluster with Peridot. But it seemed, personal. He understood though, he'd been prying into lives for a while now. And if someone didn't want you to know something, you either go for it or leave it alone. And with Lapis, Tristan decided to back off. Besides, "I'm terrified of her." Muttered Tristan, draining the last of his drink.

"Fishing eh?" said Tristan. As he walked up to Greg. "Any fun?" asked Tristan, looking over the side.  
"Yeah, when you can catch any fish." Said Greg looking back towards the water. "I just started, so it'll be awhile before any fish feel like biting."  
"Dad! Dad!" Screamed Steven as he ran up to Tristan and Greg.  
"Hey you two!" said Greg, turning around. "Finally get enough of that horn?"  
"What are you doing?" asked Lapis.  
"Fishing." Said Tristan. Lapis quickly glared at him before turning her attention back over to Greg.  
"Yeah, we're catching fish." Said Greg as he threw his hook into the water.  
"Oh, I can help with that!" said Lapis, taking a step back and breathing she raised her arm and lifted a large sphere of water out of the water.  
"What the!" Said Greg.  
"Nice." Said Tristan, giving Lapis a thumbs up. She just scowled at him, making him grin.  
"That's a, uh, pretty fancy way of fishing." Said Greg nervously.  
"That's cause Lapis is super strong!" Said Steven.  
"Yeah, well. I appreciate the gesture, but I think I'd be safer if we stuck with the old fashion way." Said Greg, obviously nervous.  
"Oh uh, sure." Said Lapis, disappointed. Shooting the water back into the sea. Making Steven and Greg gasp as the boat violently rocked.  
Tristan frowned. He felt, odd. "I need to make sure my book didn't fall into the ocean." He left, unsure of why he felt so uncomfortable. Almost like someone was watching him, no, someone was watching him. No, _them_. Tristan looked everywhere, he knew no one else was on the boat. He'd already checked before anyone else got onto the boat. So where! It was driving him crazy. Nothing up above, and he couldn't see under the water. He didn't dare check, he couldn't fight while flailing for oxygen.  
"Find your _book?_ " Asked Lapis, landing next to him.  
"Yeah." Said Tristan, staring at a shadow far away. "Can you…can you feel that?"  
"Feel what?" asked Lapis grinning. "What's wrong? Afraid monsters?"  
"Can't you tell! Someone's watching us." Said Tristan. "And I have a good idea as to where they are."  
Lapis didn't like the way he was acting. He was tense, serious, and his eyes had a wild calm to them. But then again, she didn't like him, period. "You're acting like a complete paranoid idiot."  
"Stop acting like a child and find the threat!" Said Tristan.  
"Who're you to give me orders?" screamed Lapis.  
Tristan scoffed. "It fucking sucks not being a superior." Tristan glared at Lapis. "Sucks even more when you can't just end them." Lapis was speechless as Tristan walked away. "Don't blame me when we all get shattered. Just die knowing that it was, and always will be your fault."

"It's happening again." Muttered Tristan "I got a taste of power and I got drunk again. But then again, she's acting like a fucking spoiled child." Tristan made sure Steven wasn't around and pulled a bottle of hard liquor out of a pile of towels. "I pray that you work wonders." Tristan felt the boat jerk and his bottle smashed against the floor. "Son of a bitch! Lapis!" Tristan walked over to the other side of the boat. "You did that on…who's that?" Tristan saw the large orange gem stare at him in confusion. Tristan watched everyone paralyzed with fear, and grew cautious. "You must be very, very dangerous if Lapis is afraid of you. So if you don't mind me asking, who the hell are? And why the fuck are you soaking wet?"  
"Leave human." Said Jasper turning around. "You're no match for a quartz solider."  
"I'd like to disagree." Said Tristan grabbing Jasper by her hair and tossing her into the water. "I can't even remember how many quartz's I've shattered."  
"Watch out!" Screamed Lapis. "You've made Jasper angrier!"  
"Jasper!" said Tristan, feeling Jasper's shadow come over him. Tristan summoned his sabre faster than he'd ever before and clashed against her war helmet. His arm's felt numb from the unexpected strike, and he was more excited than he was when he fought against Jade. This was the gem that Peridot said he never stood a chance against, and to be honest he agreed. Tristan jumped back charged again, summoning a swarm of petals behind Jasper as he clashed against her helmet again. Using his hand on the back of the blade to push against Japer's monster strength, and the petals attacked her from behind. Making her grunt in frustration and annoyance. "Son of a bitch!" Said Tristan as he was sent flying into the boat by Jasper.  
"Fun, but weak." Said Jasper as she turned back to Lapis. "Fuse with me! And I won't take no for an answer. We were great! Powerful! I want to feel that way again."

Tristan felt sick, sick that he wasn't even able to injury Jasper a little bit. Just amuse her, entertain her, annoy her. Tristan stood up, his knees felt weak and his arms were heavy. It wasn't the crash into the boat that hurt, it was Jasper's punch. Tristan had a hard time seeing, and there was a constant ringing in his ears. He walked out of his little homemade coffin only to see Jasper on her knees in front of Lapis. What was she trying to do? It only got worse when Tristan realized that Steven was on the floor, hurt. And unlike a week ago, this wasn't an illusion. Tristan's vision went red, it was hard to see. Hard to breathe, and hard to think with so much rage. With so much blood lust. Tristan was in front of Jasper. When had he moved? He didn't even remember doing anything. He saw himself knee Jasper and kick her back. But he hadn't done that! What was happening? He saw himself summon, unsummon, and resummon his sabre while punching, kneeing, and kicking Jasper. How was this happening? He could feel himself drift away, feel himself become non-existent. And the only thing stopping that was his stubbornness, and his iron will. Tristan finally felt himself move, and this time he was really back. No red vision bullshit, no automatic movement. Just himself back in control, and his sabre in his leg.

Lapis watched a red eyed Tristan fight Jasper. But it wasn't like before, this time he fought like a gem. Like a real warrior. It was going great, but something felt odd about him. He expressed no emotions. No need or want, just battle. But then he stopped, and it wasn't just Jasper that was confused. It was everyone else. Why did he stop, why now? He was doing so well! Tristan made a sudden movement and pierced himself with his sabre. The blade going all the way through his leg. His eyes were back to normal and he was panting hard. As if he had struggled to stab himself.

Tristan felt Jasper strike him in the face, and he was pretty sure his jaw was shattered. But he was already numb, his limp body skidded over to Lapis's feet. Tristan looked over at Lapis. His eye's still a wild calm as his eye's closed shut.

His lungs filled with water as Tristan woke up. Tristan sat up in Rose's fountain, still in his clothes from a few hours ago. Just a bit tattered up and soaking wet. "You're awake!" Screamed Steven as he jumped onto Tristan, making him fall back into the water.  
"Holy shit!" Said Tristan surprised, grabbing Steven and placing him outside of the fountain. "Be careful, you could've drowned me."  
"I'm sorry, I really am. But I'm just so happy that you're okay." Said Steven with a smile on his face. "Lapis and I were really worried about you."  
"Excuse me, but please tell me you didn't just say Lapis." Said Tristan.  
"Who else?" said Steven. "We flew over to the beach house and warped here as fast as we could. See, Lapis is over there!" Tristan looked over Steven's shoulder. Seeing nobody there."  
"Nice try." Said Tristan getting up. "Lapis isn't even here. But thanks for trying to make me feel better."  
"What!" said Steven turning around. "But I swear, she was right there when you woke up!" He was pointing towards the warp pad.  
"I guess she just really didn't want to see me than, if she left that quickly." Said Tristan as he proceeded to get on the warp pad.  
"But it's true!" Said Steven. "She was worried sick!"  
"No, she wouldn't be." Said Tristan as they warped back to the beach house. "Nobody would."

Tristan felt eyes on him as he walked all the way up to the lighthouse. But it wasn't menacing, like on the boat. It was almost as if they were trying to make sure he was safe. And it pissed him off. Tristan reached the light house and opened the door, looking back into the sky. Only to see nothing but a tiny blue dot, getting farther away at incredible speeds. "Wow." Said Tristan as he walked inside to Keith. "She really doesn't like me, does she?"

Lapis watched as Tristan made his way up to his home. It didn't feel natural, he didn't move his head but she feel his cold eyes looking for something. He was a terrifying man, and a greater ally. She was glad he wasn't her enemy, but at the same time she wished he was so that she had an excuse to hit him for being such an asshat. But that was what made Tristan himself wasn't it? Lapis flew away towards the barn. "I can't be late, I told Peridot I'd join her for this episode of camp pining hearts!"

"You bastard!" screamed Keith. "You took my liquor!"  
"Shut up." Said Tristan, shoving a granola bar into his face. "You can buy ten, even twenty crates of that liquor if you wanted."  
"I can't understand you! Your mouth is full of granola." Complained Keith.  
Tristan sighed. "Just use the money from the organization's account."  
"Then _they_ will know where we are." Said Keith. "And unlike you, I'd like to be forty for another ten years."  
"Well tell them to bring it." Said Tristan. "Just give me a few months, and I can make them scamper in fear."  
"I don't think you can take down another organization in a few months." Said Keith. "You don't have the kind of inside information had with ours."  
"No, it would take years." Said Tristan. "Just give me a few months to train, then I'll crush them with brute strength."  
"You cocky today, aren't you?" Said Keith, walking upstairs.  
"Of course I am." Said Tristan summoning a small swarm of Crimson petals and staring at them. "I just got a taste of Beryl's power, and now I'm drunker than before." Tristan watched as the blood crystalized into individual shattered gem shards. "It'll be awhile before the effects were off too. And the best part is, I'll never experience a hangover."


	29. Chapter 29

Tristan walked back inside the light house, it was quiet like usual. Well, except for Keith's snoring. But it was all good, Tristan had been running around atop of Empire city's roofs training. Trying, and sometimes failing, to recreate what he had done on the boat. It was wonderful, and stressful. He was able to summon his weapon on instinct, and he could move faster and he could store his pistols in his gem. But nothing more, he couldn't even summon the shards on will. It was always luck or an accident. It'd been an entire month and he had almost nothing to show for it. It was frustrating! Tristan walked back outside and dropped down to the statue's hand. Landing on the warp pad and warping to the arena. I'm not sleeping until I learn how to fight like her, like Beryl.

Tristan woke up covered in sweat, he'd passed out standing up. Tristan looked at his hands, they were covered in calluses. Ever since he'd been thrown into the fountain again, his skin had become soft and scar free. Tristan wasn't use to it, and he didn't like it. Tristan tried to summon his sabre, but it didn't work. He tried again, but to no avail. "You're overworking yourself." Said Garnet as Tristan turned around. "You need to stop, you're only hurting yourself."  
"I'm fine." Said Tristan.  
"Look at yourself!" said Garnet. "You're so skinny, you look like you haven't eaten in days, no, weeks!"  
"To be honest, I'm not sure when the last time I ate was."  
"Take some time off." Garnet walked towards Tristan. "You need it."  
"No I don't." Tristan took a step away from Garnet as she put her hand on his shoulder. "What I need is more time."  
"Steven misses you."  
"And?" Tristan tried to summon his sabre again, and it worked. But it looked, unstable. "I need to become stronger, so that I can protect Steven."  
"Just spend some time with him." Garnet grabbed Tristan and dragged him to the warp pad. "You can't even fight back! You need rest."  
"No I don't, just leave me alone." Tristan attempted and failed to get out of Garnet's grasp.  
"You're sleeping on the couch until you can properly stand." Said Garnet as they warped into the beach house.  
"Oh, hi Garnet." Said Pearl. "And…Tristan what's happened to you?"  
"Oh come on!" said Tristan. "I don't look that bad!"  
"Yes you do." Said Garnet as she tossed Tristan onto the couch. "No sleep."  
"Don't you fucking dare!" said Tristan as Garnet punched him in the face, knocking him out.  
"What was that about!" asked Pearl.  
"He needed rest." Said Garnet. "So I helped him."

"Is he awake yet?" asked Amethyst as she poked his nose.  
"I am now!" said Tristan as he sat up. "Why do I have a blanket?"  
"Pearl thought you would get cold." Said Steven. "So she put one on you."  
"Oh…" said Tristan.  
"Are you okay?" asked Amethyst. "You're just staring into the wall."  
"Yeah." Said Tristan. "I'm just famished, let's grab some grub."  
"It's like midnight." Said Steven.  
"…Midnight grub." Said Tristan with a smile.  
"Alright." Said Amethyst. "I'm up for grub anytime."  
"But, I should be in bed right now." Said Steven.  
"And am I supposed to care?" asked Tristan. "The other's will never find out. And if they do, we'll blame it on Amethyst."  
"Hey!" said Amethyst as Steven and Tristan grinned.  
"But how're we gonna get to any place open?" asked Steven.  
"Oh, I know a way." Said Tristan.

"So your friend just let you take his truck?" Asked Steven  
"No." said Tristan. "He doesn't even know I'm back."  
"Nice!" said Amethyst, giving Tristan a high five.  
"That's not nice!" said Steven. "That's mean!"  
"It's funny when I do it to Keith." Said Tristan as he pulled up to an all-night open bar. "I'll go inside and grab us all burgers and a drink. You both stay out here."  
"Why?" asked Amethyst and Steven.  
"Cause this place isn't exactly the Ritz." Said Tristan as he got out of the car.

Tristan was right, there were drunks waiting for an excuse to fight and guys with pills ready for any right looking girl. Tristan walked up to the counter and waved down the bartender. "ID?"  
Tristan slapped a stack of cash on the table. "There's my ID. I need a few burgers and some hard, hard liquor."  
The bartender gladly took the cash and turned around, asking no questions. Tristan sat on a stool, waiting for his food. "Hey!" said a man, sitting down next to him with a drink in his hand. "You look like a really pretty boy. I'm sure you don't need these, but if you really want a girl. I have the good shit that'll make a girl yours in less than ten minutes." Tristan almost reached into his gem and pulled out his Beretta's right then and there. It was bastards like these that made Tristan wish he was still in power. And in a way, he still was!  
"No thanks." Said Tristan. "I prefer not be a worthless scumbag. But thanks for the offer, you won't have a car within the hour." The man stiffened up as Tristan just smiled.  
"No need for a fight." The man slid him a drink. "Let's just settle this over a drink, alright?" Tristan sniffed the cheap beer and drank it in one go.  
"Curare. An alkaloid. Cheap, but very effective." Tristan just smiled at the man. "Too bad it doesn't work on me. Now you won't have a house within the week."  
"Are you insane?" asked the man. "You and your friends won't last a day with us."  
"Don't worry." Said Tristan cracking the glass by hand and placing it in front of his eye. "You won't have a life in a minute." Tristan was tapped on the shoulder and was confronted with the bar owner.  
"Here's your food, just take this outside please. I got enough troubles as it is." Said the bartender.  
"Thank you." Said Tristan as he shoved the glass all the way through the man's eye and into his brain. "But I can't let Steven see this." Tristan took the food and left.

"Son of a bitch." Said Tristan as he saw three guys hitting, or at least trying to, on Amethyst.  
"Why not honey." Said one of the guys. "You look like you have some nice meat on you that I'd love to squeeze."  
"What!" screamed Amethyst as she reached for her whip.  
"Don't do that." Said Tristan, tossing the food into the car. "You'd kill them, and that's my job." Tristan grinned as he looked at the three guys. "Follow me, I'd really like to shove you three into body bags."

"He has to learn restraint." Said Garnet.  
"How so?" asked Pearl. "I like his determination."  
"He pushes himself too far. Barely eats, sleeps, or thinks." Garnet looked out the window. "Everything is battle and killing. Nothing more, nothing less."  
"True." Said Pearl, setting Steven's laundry down. "But it can't really be helped, can it?"  
"No, no it can't." Garnet nudged her glasses. "It'll take a while before he fully settles down. But for now, it battle and liquor for him."

"You smell horrible." Said Amethyst, giggling as she opened the window.  
"Never had liquor before?" asked Tristan, taking yet another swig of the alcohol. "It's good shit when you get enough of it."  
"I'm so glad Steven's back in his bed." Amethyst leaned up against the window frame. "The others would kill us is Steven saw this."  
"Agreed. Cheers, to not having our asses beaten by the others!" Amethyst clanked her motor oil against Tristan's liquor bottle.  
"To not having our asses beaten by the others!" They chugged their bottles until it was empty, tossing them over the cliff.  
"This shit is strong!" Tristan hiccuped. "What brand was that? I need five crates of that!"  
"You're lucky, you can drown yourself in alcohol and forget things. It doesn't work like that for us Gems."  
"Honey, I think you're severely mistaken."  
"How so?"  
"This stuff doesn't help you forget, it makes you forget. It's not the best thing in the world, and huge slap on the face when you realize the mistake you've made." Tristan stared at the dirt. "This stuff makes you the most depressed person in the world, and I love it!"  
"Why? If it hurts you, than why do it?"  
"Because I deserve it more than anyone else." Tristan looked at the stars with droopy eyes. "And because I don't deserve it at the same time."


	30. Chapter 30

"Get that liquor over here!" Keith welcomed Tristan into the house with open arms as he came in with crates of hard, hard liquor.

"This better make up for when I stole your truck." Said Tristan, putting the five crates down.

"This more than makes up for it!" Keith put down a cold glass and opened the crates, "It's beautiful!"

"Oh shut up." Tristan grabbed one of the crates and began walking upstairs.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna enjoy liquor in my hammock." Tristan continued to walk to the top to jump into the hammock that hung right above the middle of the living room up by the ceiling beams.

"But you took a whole crate!"

"You have another four, stop complaining." Tristan reached the top and leaped onto the ceiling beams. Opening and setting down a crate before laying down into his hammock. "You must taste like heaven to be five hundred dollars for a single crate. So, show me your magic!"

"Where's Tristan!" asked Pearl as she bursted into light house. Keith just looked at Pearl in annoyance and pointed up. Pearl looked towards the ceiling and saw nothing. She opened her mouth but Keith already had her covered.

"He's drunk in his hammock, it's black and it hangs from the ceiling beams." Keith went back to making breakfast.

"He can get drunk?"

Keith grinned to his ears. "That shit was good. Took me out in two bottles, and he took a whole crate up with him." Pearl run up to the top.

"That damned idiot, why does he get drunk now!?" Pearl saw his hammock and his unconscious body. "Tristan!" He didn't budge. "Tristan!"

"Don't yell that loud, just wake him up!" Screamed Keith from below. Pearl groaned as she leaped over to the ceiling beams and looked over at Tristan. He had a crate of empty bottles and he smelled horrible.

"Hey, wake up!" Pearl shook him, Tristan barely twitched. "Hey! I need you for this mission!" Tristan eyes fluttered. "Wake, up!" Triston woke up, somewhat. His eyes were barely open and he was half asleep.

"Pearl…" Tristan smiled.

"What?" Pearl felt Tristan suddenly grab her and pull her closer. "What are you doing!?" Tristan leaned forward, knocking over an empty bottle off the ceiling beam. Pearl could feel Tristan's breath as he got even closer. "Tristan, now is not the time!" Tristan leaned in, his hand running through her hair as he lightly kissed Pearl on the lips, right as the glass bottle shattered onto the floor. Tristan gasped and opened his eyes completely. Shocked and surprised to see Pearl on top of him, and a bit too close for comfort.

"Oh, uh. Hi." Was all he could muster. He didn't like being this close to anybody, let alone Pearl. "What are you, uh, what are you doing here?" Pearl was frozen, completely shocked at what he had just done.

"You were asleep, the whole time!?"

"What do you mean to whole time?" Tristan shifted out of the hammock and onto one of the ceiling beams. "Did something happen? Are we under attack!?" Pearl simply looked at him in a mix of anger, confusion, and sadness before leaping down to the floor and walking out the door. Tristan looked down at Keith as he jumped down too.

"Did I do something?" Keith merely shrugged.

"You have the worst luck with girls, don't you." Keith grabbed some leftovers from the fridge and tossed them in the microwave. He chuckled, "At first she looked like she needed you, now she looks ready to vomit." Tristan scowled as he grabbed a trenchcoat and ran out the door. Leaping off the cliff and soaring through the sky before landing on the palm of the statue.

"Hey guys." Pearl, Steven, and Connie all looked up. "What's with the, uh, get up?" Steven turned around, fully geared out in snow gear. "We're going to the Great North!"

"Why?"

"For a corrupted gem hunt." Said Connie.

"Is this what you needed my help with Pearl?" Pearl just looked down.

"Yes, I did." She looked somewhat, mad. "But if you don't want to, you don't have to come. I only have to watch over the kids."

"No, it's ok. I'll come." Tristan sat down with a grin. "A change of setting and temperature will help wake me up."

"I don't think that's ness-" But before Pearl could finish her sentence, Steven jumped in.

"Yeah! Tristan's coming!" Connie and Tristan just smiled while Pearl looked less than happy.

"If you must insist, he can come." Pearl merely walked up to the warp pad, and waited for the others to join her. Though she really wished that Tristan wasn't coming. Especial after the stunt he pulled.

"We're here!" Said Pearl as the warp pad dropped them off in the middle of the Great North.  
"Wow," said Connie "the Great North is so beautiful in person!"  
"It's a bit chilly, but I can deal with it." Said Tristan sticking his hands in his pockets.  
"Maybe you should've come prepared." said Pearl, turning her back on Tristan.  
"Maybe you should've told me." Tristan sat down on the warp pad. "Instead of running away."  
"You didn't have to come." Said Pearl, looking at Tristan.  
"But I did." said Tristan, patting his coat. "Now where are my pack of cigi's?"  
"Wait, wait! Stay right there!" Said Steven as he ran in front of the warp pad, pulling out his phone. "Alright, smile!" Tristan looked up in confusion as Steven took a picture of all three of them. "Okay, now do one where you're looking for a monster." Tristan looked at the others as they looked dramatically off into the distance. So he simply looked off to his left. "Okay, now one like you made a joke." Tristan smirked at that, everyone was being cute, it was quite funny to him. "Okay, now do one where the joke's not that funny, but it's a joke that makes you think." Tristan cracked up as Pearl simply put her hands together.  
"Okay that's enough photography."  
"Why did it become so convoluted?" Asked Tristan as he stood up and put a cigarette in his mouth. "Anybody got a light?"  
"I have a box of matches." Said Connie. Tristan hide the cigarette as she turned around to look at him.  
"May I have a spare box? I don't wanna get cold."  
"Sure!" Said Connie as she grabbed a box from her enormous bag.  
"Thanks." said Tristan shoving the box in his coat pocket. "I'll save it for later."

Everyone trudged through the snow as Connie re-explained the mission to Pearl, for what Tristan could only guess to be the millionth time. "I need that cigi." Muttered Tristan as he scratched his leg and looked around. Anything was better than looking at Pearl's back. The way it perfectly arched, yet stood so straight. How smooth her shoulders looked when she- "Here it comes!" Screamed Pearl, snapping Tristan out of his trance like state. Tristan summoned his sabre and got ready to poof the beast. He began running towards it when he noticed a second one approaching. "Two of them?!" Tristan leaped back and ran into Steven's bubble.  
"Get in!" Screamed Steven as he began to open the bubble. But the corrupted gems were already charging their way. Tristan dissipated his sabre and created a wall of petals. "What are you doing?"  
"It's too late!" screamed Connie as they braced for impact. But instead the beast looking creature's merely ran past them. Tristan finally opened his eyes and let his wall drop.  
"That, was not how I expected this to go. At all!" Tristan sat in the snow.  
"Tristan, don't do that!" Said Pearl. "You could get a cold with the clothes you have on right now."  
"To be quite frank, I'm not really in the mood to care." Adrenaline still pumped through his veins like a river. "I'll regret my decision later. But right now I just need to sit down." Pearl tried to get Tristan up but he refused to move. He was too tired.  
"Fine!" Pearl finally gave up. "Stay on the ground."  
"I will." Pearl groaned as she walked away from Tristan and approached the children.

Tristan had finally gotten up and had been assigned to be with Pearl when the group split up. "I still think you should've gone with the children." Said Pearl as she looked diligently at the tracks and her surroundings.  
"They'll be fine." Said Tristan, not far behind as he lit a cigarette. "Besides, I wouldn't have been able to smoke my cigi's if I'd gone with them. They wouldn't have let me."  
"Cigi's?" Asked Pearl as she turned around.  
"Short for cigarette." Said Tristan, taking a long drag before blowing it out.  
"I can't believe you!" Said Pearl as she confronted Tristan. "You put the children in potential danger, just because you wanted to kill yourself with those human chemicals!"  
"They should be fine." Said Tristan. "I'm wouldn't just leave them because of that. I just needed to speak with you."  
"Well you can come to me any-"  
"Alone." Tristan stepped close to Pearl and threw the cigarette into the snow. "What did I do?" Pearl just stared at him, almost looking appalled.  
"What did you do? What did you do?" Pearl yelled at the top of her lungs. "I tried to bring you on this mission but instead you woke up, saw me, and kissed me like a barbarian! That's what you did to me! You grabbed me and kissed me, and then woke up acting like none of it ever happened." Tristan stared at her dumbfounded.  
"You're mad...that I accidently kissed you while I was half asleep?" Pearl just stared at him. "Did you even try to stop me? Did you even think to move away from me? Did you even acknowledge that I wasn't even fully conscious and still drunk!" Pearl just stared at him some more. But she moved even closer to him. "I wasn't in control, hell I probably thought it was a dream."  
"B-but, you kissed me!"  
"And I was raped by my father! So get over it and focus on the mission!" Tristan stomped away in the snow. Away from Pearl, and his regret of the what he had just said to her.

"How'd the mission go?" Asked Keith as Tristan came into the light house.  
"Shut the fuck up and give me a crate that stuff." Tristan sat down and fiddled with his thumbs.  
"Shit, what happened?" Asked Keith as he put the crate in front of Tristan.  
"I don't want to talk about it." Tristan grabbed the crate and stormed out of the house.

Tristan laid in the bed of Keith's truck in the middle the forest. He'd crashed it, and he had no idea where he was. So there he laid, drinking his problems away. He was drunk, drunk and out of cigarettes. "Only half of the crate left."  
"And only half a life if you keep doing this." Tristan looked up to see Garnet.  
"How did you find me?"  
"You ran off the road and caused a huge mess. It was hard to miss." Garnet walked up to Tristan.  
"Why are you here? To tell me that I was wrong? Cause surprise! I noticed. Or am I finally getting kicked out."  
"It's none of the above." Garnet put a hand on Tristan. "What's wrong?"  
"Me."  
"Be more specific."  
"Do you really need to another life story from me?"  
"No, but I want to help."  
Tristan sighed, and chugged another bottle. "I...I'm practically becoming him."  
"You're nothing like you're father."  
"Yet I kissed Pearl without her consent and yelled at her. How am I not becoming like Marcus."  
"She's forgiven you already. She's just never shared a kiss with a male or human before."  
"Than if that's solved, you can leave now. I'd like to enjoy the forest breeze."  
"You're falling apart."  
"Of course I am."  
Garnet sighed. "What do you want?"  
Tears threatened to fall down Tristan's face. "To love."  
"Than fall in love."  
"I want to."  
"Than why not?"  
"I want to. I really, really want to. But…" Tears fell down Tristan's face. And for the first time in nine years. He cried and he sobbed. "Who would love this!?"  
"You're an extremely attractive man."  
"I'm a monster!" Screamed Tristan, standing up and walking out of the truck. "A beast!" He began destroying the truck with everything his dark soul could muster. "A foul cunt!" He grabbed the truck and threw it into the forest. Falling to his knees. "A piece of shit plucked straight from hell" Tristan's head hung in the dirt and loud sobs could be heard. "How someone, no, how could anything love a monster like me!" Garnet just stared speechless. She'd never expected this, she hadn't seen this!  
"If nobody can love a monster." Garnet kneeled down next to Tristan and hugged him. "Than maybe...you should just try being human." Tristan stared at her. "Sometimes, a Monster, can turn into a human."


	31. Chapter 31

"How many times must you enter my mind?" Muttered Tristan as he fiddled with the floating shards. He placed them on his arms, forming a thin sheet of flexible crystal up climbing up to his shoulders. Tristan grinned. "It's nice to know I can still learn new tricks."  
"How long are you going to mutter to yourself over there?" Asked Keith. "I know some time with some wine is nice, but come on. You've been playing with those _things_ for a week now."  
"I just enjoy my wine."  
"You've had nothing to eat, you don't move unless you leave to train in the floating magical place-"  
"It's a sky arena."  
"Whatever!" Keith sat down next to Tristan. "You're depressed again. And not like usual, it's like back when we use to kill for a living. So what's wrong?"  
Tristan just stayed quiet, sipping his wine. He took a deep breath and set the glass down. "Have you ever fallen in love with someone who despises you with all their heart?"  
"I'm too old to remember. But yeah, probably."  
"You're only forty, never mind. Did it feel like you wanted to grab them and just make love. Not _fuck_ , or have _sex_ , but to make love with them. To pleasure her with everything you had?"  
"Oh my god! Who in the world could make _you_ feel like this?"  
"Someone who hates me very dearly." Tristan gulped the rest of his glass. "And someone who I have to see very frequently."

"What is this?" Asked Pearl as she and Connie looked at the giant Blood Petal dome in the middle of the sky arena.  
"Is this, what Tristan can do?" Asked Connie as she looked in awe. An area of the dome opened up as Garnet and Tristan walked out. The petals being sucked into Tristan's gem as they walked towards Pearl and Connie.  
"I like what you can do, now that you can control your new powers." Said Garnet "How would you like to try it on a new opponent?"  
"Huh?" Said Tristan as he looked up to see Connie and Pearl. "I, uh, I think I'll pass."  
"Pass on what?" asked Pearl Nervously  
Garnet smiled enormously. "I have a new idea." Garnet pulled Tristan over to Pearl.  
"Would you kindly let me go please!" Asked Tristan as Garnet forced him to face Pearl.  
"I want you two to fight."  
"What!" Screamed Pearl.  
"Why?" Asked Tristan. "You know exactly what I can do."  
"But the team doesn't." Said Garnet.  
"Know what?" asked Connie. "Can he do some special finishing move?"  
"No." Said Tristan. "This is _very_ unnecessary." Garnet just stared at him. "Dammit!" Said Tristan as he walked back to the middle of the sky arena.  
"Wait! I haven't agreed on anything!" Protested Pearl.  
"Yes you have." Said Garnet, summoning her gauntlet with a grin on her face.  
"B-but what about Connie's training?"  
"Watching you two spar will be her training."  
"I won't let you down ma'am." Said Connie. "I'll watch you like an eagle."  
"Let's just get this over with." Said Tristan from the stage.  
"Yes." Said Pearl. "Lets."

Tristan summoned two Sabre's as Pearl held her two swords. Pearl got in her usual stance as Tristan lifted one sword towards her and the other hanging by his side. They waited a full minute like they used to before jumping at each other. Tristan stabbed at Pearl as she deflected it. She slashed at Tristan, forcing him to lean back for a moment before leaping in the air. Dodging another attack from Pearl, as he twisted in the air. Cutting for Pearl's neck. She jumped back, getting the slightest of scratches. Tristan didn't hesitate as he and Pearl jumped at each other again. Pearl attacked, stabbing at Tristan as he deflected each and every blow. She twisted and slashed with both swords at Tristan's head. She felt contact, but only for a brief second as she saw her sword cut through a rainfall of petals. She couldn't see! She stopped, only to see Tristan out of the corner of her eye. She stabbed at him as she felt her feet leave the floor and go flying right next to Garnet and Connie. She looked up to see Tristan with a thin layer of red crystal cover his entire arm. His crimson eyes deadly serious, and slightly terrifying. She saw his eyes fill with sadness and regret as he quickly put his head down and ran to the warp pad before anyone else could say anything. "You...weren't holding back." Said Connie.  
"We've never held back when we fight." Said Pearl as she stood up. Brushing off the dirt from herself.  
"But, you guys tried to kill each other!"  
"We would've stopped if he poofed me, or if I hurt him too much."  
"Is that what real training is?" asked Connie.  
"No Connie, no. He's just at the point where I merely don't have to worry about injuring him, because I know that he can handle my full strength."  
"But, what about me?"  
"Connie, we've sparred for months at full strength, and he's a formidable half-gem, half-human. When you're at that point, than we can unleash our full power against each other."  
Connie smiled at Pearl. "Yes ma'am."

Tristan panted for air as blood poured down his cheek. She'd cut deep into his cheek, but he didn't care. He carefully watched Pearl emerge from where she'd landed. He was ready for more, he didn't think that, that one punch was enough to take her out. No, it would take much more. His fist's got tighter as he eyed down Pearl. But... she looked scared. Scared of him as she looked him in the eye. He felt guilt and regret flood in as he put his arms down and ran away. He'd gone too far, he was too serious. Of course she was afraid of him. He was a monster. He dissolved the crystal shards as he ran. But he could only wish that he could dissolve his tears as well.

"Tristan, I'd like you to meet one of the original Crystal Gem's." Said Garnet, as Tristan walked up to the beach house. "Meet Bismuth."  
"Is this another new recruit?" Asked Bismuth.  
"I'm more like a volunteer who can't leave." Said Tristan leaning on the railing.  
"Well, it's nice to meet you meatball."  
" _Meatball?_ " Tristan glared at Bismuth.  
"What's your story?" Asked Bismuth as she sat in front of Tristan with a smug grin. "How'd you get here? It's clear that you're not a gem. You're more like that Steven kid inside."  
"Well, I was abducted by Homeworld. Tortured, had a gem placed inside me. And was sent here to Shatter everyone here." It was Bismuth's turn to glare at Tristan as he gave her a smug grin. "I decided not to, joined these guy's. Now Homeworld thinks I'm dead."  
"Well that's...interesting." Bismuth stood up and walked next to Garnet inside. Tristan followed. "Where's everyone else?"  
"Everyone else?" Asked Steven.  
"Yeah, the rest of the Crystal Gems. Old Crazy Lace, Biggs, Snowflake."  
"There are no _other_ Crystal Gems." Said Tristan. "You must be talking about Gems from the war."  
"What do you mean, _from the war?_ " Asked Bismuth, turning around to face Tristan.  
"I think it would be better to just, show you." Said Pearl as she walked to the warp pad.

"No! No way!" Said Bismuth as she wandered the battlefield. "We were just here! How long was I out?"  
"It's been about 5,300 years." Pearl put a hand on Bismuth's shoulder. "We, the Crystal Gems, were able to save earth..."  
"But we're all that's left of the rebellion, huh?" Tears flowed down Pearls face as she looked up at Bismuth. "Oh, come one Pearl." Said Bismuth as tears threatened to fall down her face. "You know I can't take it when you cry like that.!"  
"I'm sorry." Pearl sniffled.  
"No, no need to apologize."  
"Homeworlds final attack on Earth wiped out _all_ the Crystal Gems." Said Garnet, walking up to them.  
"Rose was able to protect Garnet and myself, and by the looks of it, she was able to protect you as well."  
"I knew those Homeworld elites were twisted." Bismuth looked at her fist. "How ,any of us did they shatter?! Crazy Lace, Biggs, Snowflake?! If I was there, I-I could've stopped it!"  
"It's not like they've stopped trying." Said Garnet.  
"What's that?"  
"Homeworld still has it's eyes on this planet."  
"We continue to thwart their plans over and over again."Said Pearl  
"But they just keep coming back!" Said Steven running up to them.  
"Yup." Said Amythest walking up to them. "They want us bad."  
Tristan chuckled from his place by the warp pad. "They even created me." Tristan looked off to the side. "I don't think I've been here." Weapons covered in strawberry patches covered the entire battle field, as far as the eye could see. "Looks pleasant enough. Enough strawberries to feed a city for a few years."  
"To the forge!" Said Steven.  
"Whats a forge?" asked Amethyst

Tristan looked around at the bland looking mountain. "How could anything live here?" The mountain nearby looked active and dangerous, as smoked emerged from the mountain. "Tsk. Just pleasant."  
"This brings back memories." Said Bismuth, stepping off the warp pad.  
"Is this the forge?" Asked Steven.  
"Not yet." Bismuth chuckled as she walked down the path. "Follow me." After a couple minutes they arrived at a solid stone wall.  
"What is this?" Asked Tristan as he ran his hand across the smooth wall. "It's solid, not a single crack." He turned to face Bismuth. "Where's this Forge?" Bismuth just smiled as she put her hands together.  
"Let's just say this place just isn't the same without me." Her gemstone glowed as the wall behind Tristan opened. Revealing a large corridor that echoed as the door continued to open.  
"Whoa." Said Tristan as he stepped inside.  
"Now that's an entrance." Said Steven.  
"Bravo, Bismuth!" Said Pearl as she clapped her hands together. They walked down the long corridor and ended up in the, _forge_.  
"It's like an oven in here."  
"Agreed." Said Tristan as he tugged on his shirt a bit.  
"You think it's hot now?" Asked Bismuth.  
"Yeah." Said Steven. "Like an oven."  
"Well it's about to get way hotter!" Bismuth pulled on a chain, causing lava to be poured all over her, and lighting up the entire room.  
"This, is incredible!" Said Tristan as he looked around the now lit up room. There were weapons hanging from the walls and the ceiling. They were beautiful, and deadly. "Bismuth you...you were a blacksmith."  
"You found out so soon?" Bismuth grinned at him. "I outfitted the entire rebellion. Every material weapon used by the Crystal Gems were made right here in this forge."  
"That's...a lot of weapons." Tristan looked at a large sword hanging on the wall. It's edge razor sharp as he touched it. He felt a drop of blood appear and slip down his arm. "It's beautiful."  
"Do you have a weapon?" Asked Bismuth as she walked up to him?  
"Huh?" Said Tristan. "Yeah." He summoned his sabre.  
"Oh!" Said Bismuth. "A sabre, now this is uncommon." She plucked it right out of his hands and and walked off deeper into the forge. "I don't have anything to upgrade it." She handed him back his sabre. "But _do_ I have something to complement it." She handed him a large black dagger that had a long split down the middle, and a long handle. Tristan gawked at the dagger, it was beautiful. "What do you think?"  
"I _fucking_ love it!"  
"That's good." Bismuth gave him a thumbs up. "With that you could do some serious Bismuth."

The sun flashed gently against his shirtless body as he rested on top of the lighthouse. Sweat glistening on his body as his white hair tickled his nose. His hand combed through his wet hair, as the wind blow it back. It was nice, the sunset with a glass of tart/sour wine. "It's been awhile since we've had a talk like this." Garnet appeared from the other side. "You might scare me so badly that I'll fall." Tristan sipped on his wine and set the glass down.  
"You always know when I arrive." She sat next to him. "Almost nothing can sneak up on you."  
"So what's today's discussion?"  
"Whatever you want it to be."  
"Bullshit." Tristan gulped the rest of his wine and poured himself another glass. "What's the agenda you want to push today. Oh don't give me that look, just give it to me straight already."  
"You don't actually love Pearl."  
"...So...I'm not insane." Tristan chugged the glass and picked up the empty bottle. "I need more wine."  
"Don't run away." Said Garnet as he got up.  
"If we're gonna talk about this I need to be stupid drunk." He leaped down and entered the kitchen. He reached into the fridge and grabbed three bottles of wine. He stored them in his gem and leaped back up onto the roof of the lighthouse. "I'm back." He summoned a wine bottle, uncorked it, and drank straight from the bottle.  
"No glass?"  
"I told you, I need to be stupid drunk." He chugged half the bottle. "Alright, that should do. For now." There was an awkward pause for a minute, before Garnet restarted the dreaded conversation.  
"So, you don't love Pearl."  
"I thought I did, but she just wasn't _the_ Pearl for me."  
"And yet you've chased her for so long."  
"I love many things about her, but she just wouldn't leave me...happy."  
"How so?"  
"What can you say she likes about me, with one-hundred percent honesty." He chugged more of the bottle. "And none of that ' _you're good at sword fighting_ ' bullshit. I mean what does she _adore_ about me? What can she _love_? If there's even anything left."  
"Well, you're handsome."  
"Pearl doesn't give a rat's ass about my looks, or my non-existent charm." Silence. "Exactly. I can't love someone who would leave me heart broken. And she still loves a dead person/gem!"  
"I can't blame you for that."  
"I just, want _my_ Pearl. Blue Pearl." Tristan chugged the rest of his wine and chucked the bottle. "Round two!" He pulled a second bottle out of his gem, and instantly began drinking it.  
"You could fall in love with Lapis, she's blue." Tristan choked on his wine.  
"Now that's a funny joke."  
"Why couldn't that work?"  
"She hates me even more then Pearl does already."  
"I wouldn't say that."  
"What makes you even remotely think that?" She shrugged.  
"How about you find out for yourself?" Silence.  
"You know I hate you with a burning passion sometimes."  
"That's what makes me such a loveable friend."  
"Oh shut up." He punched her in the shoulder. "Or else I'm really gonna hit you."  
"Seriously, just warp to the barn, and maybe you'll find out just how much she doesn't hate you."  
"I'd rather get drunk and hang out with Steven."  
"Don't even try-"  
"Too late!" He screamed as he sprinted and leaped off the lighthouse. While chugging the last of the wine in the second bottle. He crashed into the waves near the beach house and swam to shore.  
"Steven!" Said Tristan, as he barged into the house. Soaking wet. He saw Steven and Bismuth on the warp pad as a flash of light appeared, and they disappeared. "Shit." He stumbled to the warp pad. Tripping and landing on his face. "I need more wine." He muttered as Garnet warped in. "Oh hell."  
"If you even get near Steven while you're drunk-"  
"I'm just having fun." Tristan stood up and stumbled over to Garnet. "Now, move!" He shoved her off the warp pad and left. Landing hard as he warped to the barn. He crawled away, giggling as he summoned another bottle of wine. Garnet followed, warping behind him. "Shit, better drink fast!" He started chugging as Garnet grabbed him by his shoulders.  
"You're gods damn wasted." He smiled stupidly.  
"No, I'm just having fun." He chugged more of the wine as she punched him in the stomach. _Hard_. He gasped as he fell to his knees.  
"You're too drunk to be awake."  
"No! Stop! I'm just a little tipsy-" Garnet punched him in the face. Leaving him unconscious. She dragged him to the front of the barn and knocked. "Anyone home?"  
"Yes, is that you Garnet?" Screamed Peridot.  
"Garnet, what's she doing here?" Asked Lapis.  
"I have a present for you!" Said Garnet as they walked out of the barn.  
"Is that Tristan?" Asked Lapis.  
"What's he doing here?" Asked Peridot, as she observed Tristan who had a dumb smile on his face.  
"He's drunk, and a nuisance. So just watch him until he wakes up." Garnet just dropped him. "Leave him where he is, he'll be making a mess when he wakes up. And ignore most everything he says, he'll still be drunk." With that she warped away. Leaving an unconscious Tristan with Peridot and Lapis.

Tristan opened his eyes and saw Lapis looking intently at his face. It took him awhile for him to remember what had happened, and his conversation with Garnet. "Holy shit, Garnet was right." Said Tristan.  
"What?" Asked Lapis, confused.  
"You really are blue!" As he proceeded to roll over and puke all over the grass.

 **I hope you guys enjoyed drunk Tristan. The dagger that Bismuth gave Tristan is just Hei's dagger from Darker Than Black, if you want an accurate image of what she gave to him. Well, I guess it's good night. So, until next time.**


	32. Chapter 32

Water smashed against the side of the tiny island as the blood red sky turned an even darker shade of red. Tristan watched as the water in front of him stayed there, instead of returning to the waters. _It_ began moving towards him, slowly growing until it molded into something. Tristan's jaw tensed as _it_ stood in front of him. "You're pathetic." Spoke the thing as it crouched in front of him. He stared right at it, not saying a thing. "You said you loved me, than ran after a Pearl when I died." His breathing became more rugged as it continued to talk. "You even went after one when I was alive, on that ship in space. Tell me, did you get bored of me that fast?" His hands shot up and grabbed its throat. Yet it seemed unfazed. "And now you want to lust after a Lazuli. Was I really nothing to you?"  
"You're dead!" Muttered Tristan. "I've a right to move on from my grief."  
"Yet here I am." She leaned closer to him. "Do I look dead to you?"  
"You're not her!" He screamed as he ripped her wet throat out. Causing water to splash and cover him. Making him soaking wet. "You're not her." He muttered, putting his hands to his head as tears began spilling out. "You're not my Beryl." He choked as his hands slammed into the dirt on the small island. "You're not her. Please, don't be her."

Tristan felt someone or something touch his face. He swatted it away as he opened up his eyes. Bright sunlight attacked him as he squinted to help ease the sudden change. He saw Peridot move in his peripheral vision as he spit out the disgusting taste in his mouth. Wiping his face before sitting up. "So, what are you doing poking my face so early in the morning?"  
"The Earth's sun has been up for almost ten hours." Said Peridot as she frowned. "If I recall correctly, it's what you call ' _noon_ '"  
"Shit, it's four in the afternoon?" Tristan stood up and brushed some dirt and grass off him. "Garnet beat the living hell out of me, didn't she."  
"You recall last night?" Asked Lapis.  
"All too well." He looked at the pile of dried vomit next to him. "Just get a shovel and put some dirt on it. It'll disappear soon enough." He started walking away.  
"Where are you going?" Asked Peridot, following suit.  
"I'm going home to take a shower and brush my teeth. I hate the taste of vomit in my mouth."  
"Oh ,well goodbye." Said Lapis as he warped away.  
"He is an interesting subject." Said Peridot as she began walking back towards the barn.  
"Sure." A small grin appeared on her face as she summoned her wings. Flying back to the barn.

He played with the cigarette in his hand. It killed him to know that he would eventually need to stop. That the thing that helped him calm down would someday be the thing that made everything worse. He twisted it in his hand slowly, yet the temptation only grew stronger. His anxiety didn't help as he tried to set it aside, making him unconsciously reach for another. He flinched as he heard someone behind him. He pulled his dagger out of its sheath and stabbed at whatever was behind him. A strong grip held his wrist as the blade slightly scrapped the gem it was pointed at. He looked at the face of Pearl as she looked at him, scared. "Tristan?" He paused for a moment, before letting go of his dagger and falling onto his back. "A-are you okay?"

"I'm sorry." Said Tristan as he took a deep breath putting the dagger back into his sheath, avoiding even looking at Pearl. "I'm just...a little on edge."  
"That was more than a little."  
"Than we have different definitions of 'on edge.'"  
"It's okay, you didn't mean it."  
"N-no, no it's not okay. I almost shattered you! I could have killed you!"  
"Well, it didn't happen."  
He kept staring into the distance "So what will you do when it does?" he muttered  
"It won't."  
"How can you be so sure? I'm _poison_ for this team. I've been tearing it apart. First it was Garnet, than you, what happens when I get to Amethyst?"  
"We don't hate you, and we've all had our little fights."  
"Not like this." Tristan grabbed the cigarette and twisted it in his hand. "I've done bad things to you guys. And I'm sorry, you're all too good for me."  
"Why are you like this?"  
"Why aren't you mad?" Tristan stood up, staring her right in the eye. "Why can't you just stay mad at me? Why not drive me out of here, forever? Why do you pretend that I didn't kiss you! You were furious, so why can't you just stay that way?"  
"Because we care-"  
"Don't give me that shit!" He walked closer to her, his voice getting louder. "You people make _no_ sense! You hate me, yet at the same time you don't. Why? Please, tell me! Because I can't _stand_ this back and forth. _Just make a fucking decision and stay with it!_ " He stood there, his crimson eyes unfeeling, hurt, and confused. "I'm already going insane, I don't need you guys sending me mixed messages every single day too. So please." He turned around and sat down. "Just make a damn decision, and stick with it." Pearl stared at the back of his head. Speechless. Full of rage and confusion.  
"You, are the most confusing human I've ever met."  
"Than feel that way. Stay that way."  
"I will, and I'll leave." She walked away, before turning around. "Oh, and the reason I came to you was to tell you, Bismuth is gone." Tristan stopped breathing, his hand twitching slightly. "She tried to kill Steven, she needed to be stopped." The anxiety took over Tristan's body as he grabbed a cigarette and lit it as fast as he could. He just left it in his mouth, but it didn't help. He needed more, he wanted more. "I'll never understand you."  
"I don't think I'll ever understand myself either." She leaped down from the cliff, leaving Tristan to think. And for the second time this month, he wished that he could taste a bloody bullet in mouth.

"Look at you, you're miserable!" Said Keith as he refused to give Tristan another bottle. "You're a sorry excuse for the Tristan I knew." Tristan attempted to stand up, but he collapsed immediately. His eyes hazy, and unaware. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back out there! Or even better, go to bed and stop staying up for three days!" Tristan's nails dug into the wooden floor.  
"Shut up...asshole, just...gimme one last….bottle." Tristan attempted to get back up, a scowl on his face.  
"You can't even stand up." Keith picked up Tristan, dragging him up onto the couch. "Just go to sleep."  
"Stop!" Keith fell back as Tristan freaked out, tears falling down his face. "I can't, it hurts! It hurts too much. Please, please, anything but this! Stop!" He sobbed as his eyes slowly closed shut. "I can't take...much...more." He went silent as Keith stared at Tristan's unconscious body. He'd never, _ever_. Not _once_ in his life had he seen Tristan beg for anything. Let alone mercy. He stood up, shaking, as he ran out the door.

"Help!" Screamed Keith as he ran into the beach house. Startling Steven and Amethyst as they looked at him from Steven's room. "Grab everyone. Tristan, something's wrong with him."  
"What's wrong?" asked Pearl as she and Garnet ran out of the temple.  
"Tristan, he's crying."  
"That's nothing new." Said Pearl.  
"But...something's different?" Said Garnet.  
"He begged." Said Keith. "He did something I've never seen him do. He begged for mercy as I put him to sleep."  
"And?" asked Pearl.  
"His dreams!" said Garnet.  
"What?" asked Keith.  
"Steven, come with us. Now!" Garnet ran to the warp pad as everyone followed.

It rained blood, his white hair turned a dark red as blood soaked his entire body. The _thing_ appeared in front of him, he didn't look up, he didn't move.  
"I see you've been running away from me." Said the _thing_ as it picked up Tristan by the neck. He stayed limp, unmoving. "Don't you love me? I thought you wanted me, huh?" He did nothing, letting tears slowly appear on his face. " _Say something you worthless piece of shit!_ " Tristan gasped in pain as she smashed him onto a tree. A sharp object protruding out of his body. "You can ignore me out there, but _here_ is where you must look at me, listen to me, _love_ me!"  
Tristan shook as he held _it's_ hand. "You have no fucking clue how much I miss Beryl. But you're not her. You're just, something." She growled as Tristan felt his eye rip apart. He screamed in pain as she dug deeper into his skull.  
"Tristan!" The thing froze as it turned towards Steven. He lifted himself onto the island as he began to stare at the _thing_ that called itself Beryl. "Where's Tristan?" It began walking towards Steven. A sabre appearing in it's hand. "Um, excuse me" he looked behind him at the sea of blood "but who are you?" He summoned his shield and blocked the things swing, but wasn't prepared for the amount of strength it had. "Tristan, help!" Tristan didn't move his spot on the ground. Holding onto his mutilated eye. "Tristan!" Steven rolled out of the way of Beryl's sword.

Tristan couldn't hear anything. He didn't want to hear anything. He held onto his face, hoping that the thing would just kill him. It hurt, all of it just hurt too much. The drugs, the alcohol, the need for love. It never ended, and he just wished that Beryl had finished the job. "Tristan!" He heard something, but it was faint. It was Steven. He looked with his left eye, spotting two blobs moving. "Help me!" It was Steven, inside of his dream! He slowly stood up. And stumbled over to where Beryl and Steven were fighting.

Steven felt the thing kick him to the ground and placed the sword on his neck. "Goodbye." Steven expected the blade to go through him, but looked up to see a bloody hand holding onto Beryl's hand. It looked at him, furious. As he met her gaze with his calm one, he slowly started walking it towards the edge.

"Let go of me!" It struggled and failed to get out of Tristan iron grip. "You don't want to kill you, you love me! Without me, you're nothing!" Tristan just summoned his own Sabre and held her close to her. Almost kissing her.

"I know." He whispered before plunging the sword through her back, and into his gem. He felt it just drain out of him as he fell into the depths of the bloody sea, with Beryl right by his side. It was almost a sense of, euphoria, as his lungs filled with blood.


End file.
